“Yes, you ——-, people have died. And now my bond is sitting over there with a broken spine because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut for one second. And what about Genor. That ring any bells? He died for you. Because you fell over but he sacrificed his life for you. He was fourteen, Ripred. Fourteen.”(edited)
Onora tried to grab ahold of his wing, but that didn’t happen. It seemed as if her knees gave out. Everything became still, the only person she was really close to had left. She didn’t care if anyone saw or not. Onora let the tears streak from her light violet eyes. She crumbled to the ground.
“Sorry, but I don’t know if he’s coming back. He’s pretty pissed and it seems like it would be hard to come back, there are no notable landmarks to retrace your steps with.”
Suddenly, Jexus appeared in the distance again. He seemed to be flying as fast as he could. He landed as quickly as possible, but avoided Onora’s eyes. “I found them. The crushers. You need to come and see this.”
“Oh boy,” he said. Not now. The group was in the worst position possible- Jexus pissed, Onora heartbroken, Smokeswirl freezing up, Ripred with amnesia, Michael feeling guilty.
Nike lifted off the ground with the others, beating her small wings as fast as she could.Onora watched them leave, as she said something quietly. “Fly you high.”
Michael was increasingly starting to care less and less about what these people thought of him. He wasn’t sure what he did wrong, besides the bond comment. That was bad of him. But in that moment he wasn’t sure if Jexus was coming back.(edited)
(You were there and he snapped at you and I asked him why he snapped at you then instead of when it happened out of curiosity but since he’s just reading words instead of hearing my voice he thought I was blaming him)
“Yeah. I think I shouldn’t have made that comment about Jexus though. They really care about each other, and I hurt Onora’s feelings. That was out of line,” he said shamefully, rubbing the back of his neck.
Suddenly, the buzzing grew louder. Another small group, this time only with only about five Crushers. Their iridescent shells gleamed, and their translucent wings whirred loudly. They were heading towards the Gnawer territory at a wicked pace.
Smokeswirl turned to the group. "Get them on the ground, we will have the advantage." She hissed, before running out into the middle of the tunnel. The Crushers hadn't seen her, but they certainly heard her when she roared: "Crushers!"(edited)
Edwynn lept out from behind the rock, following Smokeswirl’s lead. Edwynn let out a loud yell and took the head off the crusher closest to her. She took a running leap and jumped off the back of another only to land on Cass. The pair veered off to the left and scoped the scene.
This time, Smokeswirl was ready for the fight. She launched into the air, pinning the smallest of the Crushers to the ground. It was wiry and iridescent green, with many black legs. It struggled, but could not snap her with its huge pincers.
Jexus took off, before spiralling back down between two crushers and opening his wings with a snap , knocking them out of the air. Both beetles hit the ground on their backs with a thud. Jexus pulled out of the dive, looking quite pleased with himself.(edited)
Cass caught Jexus’ eye and nodded. She was impressed with his maneuver but not surprised at his subtle arrogance even in battle. Excellent technique! She called to him.
Jexus focussed on one of the larger crushers, circling around it a couple times before suddenly bursting towards it at full speeds. He grabbed it out of the air with his claws and swung it towards the side of the cave. It hit the wall with a sickening crunch and slid to the ground. Jexus smirked back at Cass.
(The one Jexus through against the wall is dead, I suppose the ones he knocked to the ground can still be alive, just injured. Drag out the fight a little longer)
A particularly large Crusher came at Jexus from behind, but Demeter swerved in and knocked into its side. It was thrown several feet to the left, wobbling in the air. She couldn't kill it, not being physically strong enough. It turned to her, clicking angrily, ready to attack her instead.
Edwynn and Cass rolled and sliced the crusher, angrily clicking at Demeter, in two. The pair rolled again and Edwynn breathed a small sigh of relief.(edited)
Jexus was too involved in the fight to acknowledge Demeter saving his life. He used his strength and weight to physically pull the crushers towards rocks and each other. He took down beetle after beetle, his fur becoming soaked in purplish blood as he did so.(edited)
Michael ran to a beetle. He didn’t want to kill it, but he had to. It would be hard to win a war without killing anybody. As he was running towards It, he noticed something. He wasn’t nervous at all. He ran to drive the blade into its head but then another one surprised him from the side and landed a harsh blow on his back.
Demeter soared downward to protect Smokeswirl, who was still busy pinning the small Crusher down and roaring in pain. She fought off several other Crushers who aimed to attack the rat.
Demeter pushed a few Crushers off of Smokeswirl, and rocketed over to Michael. She quickly scooped him up, lifting him by the back of his shirt, and dropped him next to Smokeswirl so she could defend them both.
Edwynn nodded and shouted a brief thanks to Demeter as her and her bond rocketed by. Edwynn realized she was needed on the ground and flipped off Cass. She landed directly in front of Michael and to the left of Demeter, her sword drawn.
Edwynn raced toward Smokeswirl, jumping off the poor rat’s back as she launched herself at the crusher. Sorry! She yelled to Smokeswirl as she flipped through the air and ran her sword through the unrelenting crusher.
Jexus took off again, roaring a battle cry as his hurled his body into large crusher, physically knocking it into another one. Both beetles tumbled to the ground and split apart on the rocks below.
Demeter soared around Smokeswirl and her Crusher, knocking several of them back. However, one landed on her back and its weight caused her to plummet. She landed on her stomach painfully, struggling against the Crusher on top of her.
Cass plucked a rather large crusher from the ground, spinning in a tight circle, barely hanging on to the bug. Jexus! She shouted, flinging the creature at him.(edited)
Jexus noticed Demeter struggling and swooped down, picking up the crusher in his claws before flying back up and flinging it towards the ground. He noticed the beetle Cass had thrown at him and he dived back down. He hit the bug head-on and forced it all the way to the ground. Jexus pushed it down onto a sharp looking stalagmite, and the spike went through the beetles shell and out through its stomach, splattering Jexus’ underbelly with blood. Jexus pulled out of the dive metres before he hit the ground, and turned to check on the rest of his friends.
Demeter nodded in thanks before immediately launching back into battle. A few Crushers were swarming Smokeswirl, and she knocked them back again. She was beginning to grow fatigued, early battle adrenaline wearing off slow;y.
The fighters picked off the last few crushers, but just as Jexus was clawing the underbelly of a large beetle, it opened his mouth wide and bit down on his face, hard. Jexus screamed in pain, and dropped the bge.
After a couple of attempts Michael finally got up, and he tried to attack the beetles going near Smokeswirl and failed miserably. He only got a few small hits that only made the crushers mad.
Finally, there were only a few Crushers left. They were destroyed quickly, leaving only a few twitching on the ground. The one beneath Smokeswirl was exhausted.
Jexus whimpered, subject to some primordial instinct inside of him. His face was burning, and his brain couldn’t make sense of what his single eye was showing him
Smokeswirl panted loudly. "One of you needs to get this." She rolled off of the beetle, which didn't move much. But it was still alive. It tried to scutter off.
The beetle clicked loudly, speaking out in an odd, clipped, alien tone. "Get off of me." It spoke without any intonations in its voice, like it was stating a fact.(edited)
Edwynn shocked that the thing could speak, quickly regained her bearings. She pulled her sword out and held it to the beetles neck. Why are you attacking? She spat.
“There’s a wound running from his eyebrow to lip. It will definitely leave a scar. We need to stop it from getting infected.” Howard said, calling for Nike to pass him the supplies.
Howard reached into the medkit. “All of those things, but it will also take a toll on Jexus. It may take months for him to adjust to seeing with one eye.”(edited)
Edwynn turns back to the crusher. Answer or die. She threatens. I will happily kill you and not think twice about it if you are not useful to us. She says to the bug, glaring at it.
Howard first poured a clear white vial down Jexus’ throat, then gently pulled his head into his lap. (if Jexus wasn’t unconscious rn he would be having the time of his life. Who doesn’t want their head in Howard’s lap?)(edited)
Edwynn is enraged at the beetle. Tell your leader you will regret threatening the Underland. All other creatures allied with the humans will stop your efforts to take over. You will be destroyed, stomped underfoot, and valued less than the muck on the bottom of our boots. She hisses at the pathetic creature. She cuts the ropes off, nicking the bug as she does.(edited)
“Perhaps, but I more am worried about the eye socket. It will get infected easily, and... well, it still has part of his eye in it. We will have too.. pull it out.” Howard said, squirming slightly.
He wiped away as much blood as he could, then slowly reached into Jexus’ bloodied eye socket. He felt sick, but groped around until he got his fingers around something squishy. He pulled it out, hard, exposing the optic nerve. “Michael.” Howard said shakily “Can you please cut through that nerve right there. There is a pair of scissors in the medkit.”
Howard dumped the bloody mess that had once been Jexus’ eye on the ground, then dampened a clean cloth and gently wiped the eye socket. He reached for a sowing kit.
18:06
“This will take a while. Perhaps someone should fetch Onora and Ripred?”
Howard took over an hour to sow up Jexus’ wound. After he had finished, he cleaned it again, wiping away as much blood as he could before bandaging it up tightly.
He put the bloody needle next to the remains of Jexus’ eye, washed his hands thoroughly and packed up the medkit. He walked a couple metres away from the group, breathing shakily.(edited)
Howard breathed out heavily. “Huh? Oh, yeah. I’ve done stuff like that before, but never out in the field. I’m not even entirely sure he will survive, that cut will get infected really easily, especially out here.” Howard shook his head slightly. “I’ve got to go check on everyone else.”
Howard had awoken, and was busy reapply Jexus’ bloodied bandages. He glanced behind him when he heard Onora’s voice. “It is hard to tell. I cleaned and sowed the wound as best I could, but he could still easily catch an infection.”
Onora rushed over to him, gingerly touching her wings as she sat with him. Maybe she could’ve helped if she went, but didn’t. Protect their life with yours, right? The halflander sobbed quietly.
Howard hesitated, but then turned away and walked back to Nike. He understood her pain, of course, but was angry at her lack of recognition of how much he did to save Jexus.
It was hours before Jexus awoke. As he opened his eye, a searing pain shot through his head. His face felt like it was on fire. “Hey.” he croaked out hoarsely.
Jexus groaned and leaned back. “My face is burning.” he complained.
-
Howard approached holding an orange vial. “Take this painkiller every couple hours or so. And tell me if the wound starts bleeding or leaking pus.” he said.
-
Jexus nodded. “So what actually happened?” he asked no-one in particular.
Onora sat there, her hair draped over her shoulder as she listened to the story, still worried for Jexus’s health. His wound was far more worse than hers. “Thank you.” She said softly to Howard.
“And he killed so many, too, it was just luck for that crusher. He did a lot better than I did, anyways,” Michael said, thinking about the huge wound on his back. “I was barely able to do anything.”
“Are you sure you don’t wanna tend to somebody else first?” Michael said, walking to Howard. “It’s on my back, could we go somewhere... private?” ( ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) )(edited)
Howard exhaled in relief. It wasn’t as bad as he’d thought. “You’ll be fine,” he said, pouring some water on it and bandaging it. “It’s not deep, and not bleeding too badly.”(edited)
Howard lifted up her shirt (ooooooooooooooooo) and gently unwrapped the bandages around her stomach. He winced. “The wound is inflamed. It doesn’t look infected, but you need to give it time to heal. Have you been taking the medicine?”
Her bare skin was exposed, but covering up some parts of her was a small laced bra. Onora winced as he touched her inflamed wound, but didn’t want to answer the question. “No..” She said quietly.
(oh you use a different ratin system since you're in not the america which is the home of the brave flexes muscles shaped like bald eagles, cheeseburgers, and the american flag as the national anthem plays)
Howard gently rubbed some ointment into the wound, which soothed the burning, and applied fresh bandages. He gave no comment about the medicine, just recommended for her to take some now.
Onora had looked guilty, wincing as he placed the bandages around her stomach and back. It hurt like hell. She obediently took it, as she sat back against a rock, head in palms.
20:15
(Ok is it just me? Or it’s it kinda hard to keep this server 13 and under)
It is not your fault. If anyone is to blame it is me, as I was close to him when it happened. I could have stopped the crusher. Edwynn admitted in a sad whisper to Onora.
Do not beat yourself up about it. I have a large scar from an attack that Cass could have saved me from. I do not blame her or hold her accountable for what happened just as Jexus does not blame you. She Replied, leaning her head against the stone wall
Onora didn’t know how to respond to that. The halflander tucked her long curly hair behind her ear, revealing her eyes and beautiful skin. “But I do..”
She gnawed ya her lip intently as Onora waited for the food. The halflander moved her hair out of her face quickly as she smelled the food. She could eat anything as of now.
Onora nodded as she walked over to sleep under Jexus’s wing, as he was soft and warm. Hopefully her bond didn’t mind. She looked at Howard, bewildered. He was muscular, and handsome. What couldn’t this man be?
A heavy blush crossed Onora’s face as she looked at Edwynn and Howard. She wanted to, so she did. Slowly, she undressing herself to her bra and bandages, leaving her pants on—for now.
*The two were chatting, and Gregor saw him lying on the rock, so he went over to pick up the roleplay to talk about whats happened in the Underland while he was gone.(edited)
“I remember basic information... but not much. I remember almost nothing since first meeting you all.” Ripred said in despair. “ And from what I’ve heard, I was not the most favorable.”
"I dont like to fight.. Im not like the rest of the people on this trip.. I just want peace.." Gregor said, looking at his dagger. "Im not a fighter by choice.."
"All my friends are down here, and I thought we were at peace with the Gnawers." Gregor shook his head. "But it turns out people just ruined it again."
Sky woke slowly, and removed the mag, making sure the chamber was clear and started practicing maneuvers. He managed to find himself over by the heap of three people.
( @𝚊𝚝𝚖𝚘𝚜 )
Gregor looked back to Ripred
( @3katsiMe (Gen/Shr/Jes) )(edited)
Smokeswirl lay down, curling her tail around her but keeping her head up. She had passed out from exhaustion the moment they returned. Her muscles and wounds still ached. "So. We learned only one thing from that Crusher."
"They aren't acting from free will. They're working with another species. The 'Prowlers.' Those must have been the odd, furred creatures Spark mentioned. Whatever they are." Smokeswirl grimaced.
Smokeswirl twitched her whiskers. "I need to try and catch onto the scent of the rogue Gnawers who passed through here. They'll likely be the only Gnawers who passed through here, but it still may be difficult if the trail is old."
"Are you sure? I know that we do not need our eyes, but you would be surprised as to how much you rely on them." Demeter said, turning to the group. "Most of the group will be walking. Is there any way we can carry him?"
Smokeswirl slowly moved around the large tunnel, moving her pink nose along the ground, sniffing constantly. She went back and forth, furrowing her brow in concentration.
After a few tedious minutes, she raised her head. At the far side of the tunnel, she had caught the very faint smell of Gnawer. "I have caught the scent." She called to the group.
Nike had followed Smokeswirl, the leader of their V formation. She had watched around the tunnel as Nike flew , trying to conceal some of her wing beats.
Jexus nodded reluctantly. “I shall set you down next to Smokeswirl.” he said, coasting in to land. He took one last look at Onora. “Try not to die.” he said, only half-joking, before setting off back to their camp.
Jexus glanced back at the shrinking figure of Onora. It killed him to leave her alone in battle, but he knew he would hinder rather than help if a fight did arise.
The tunnel forked suddenly, and Smokeswirl hesitated before wordlessly moving to the left. The cave angled down sharply, taking them deep into the earth. The temperature began to drop considerably.
ENOUGH! Edwynn roared at the grappling rats. She drew her sword and held it to Smokeswirl’s throat. Get off him. She said turning the sword to Ripred.(edited)
“This is enough!” Onora said, drawing her one golden dagger she had, it was broken, but still useable. She defended Ripred. Pointing the dagger at Howard quietly.
Edwynn saw the look on Onora’s face and gently slid her sword back into its sheath. She walks over to Smokeswirl and apologizes. I apologize for being threatening. We need to figure this out calmly and I took wrong actions.
As quickly as she had been found, her face morphed into anger. An anger that has never been seen before. An anger, a fury that would stop at nothing to get what it wanted. Her face contorted, going from beautiful to scorching in a matter of seconds. Her gaze landed on Ripred. "HOW COULD YOU JUST STAND THERE! WHY DID YOU DO THIS!
The bat instead of attacking, stumbles, and takes a hard fall for in her rush to kill Ripred, she had forgotten about her injured leg/ claw. It was mangled and it was obvious that it was a rat bite, for a good chunk of her leg/claw was gone. She cried out in pain, anger and frustration.
Howard approaches the bat calmly. “Shhh...” he said gently, walking slowly with one arm outstretched. “Everything will be okay... I promise...” Howard continued soothing the bat. ”Can I take a look at your leg?”(edited)
Howard spin round. “Not yet” he grunted to Smokeswirl. “Let me attend to her leg first.”(edited)
17:57
Howard took that for a yes, and slowly reached for the medkit. He took out what he needed, and turned to look at the bat’s torn leg. He winced. “How did this happen?” he asked, fishing for a vial within the medkit.
She recoils, as if insulted that he/she would actually speak. As if threatened, she flew up, even with her injured leg, and spread her wings. Her wings were different in one way. There size. Her wings fully unfurled large enough to cover the whole group. She screamed a high pitched cry, so loud even the ground vibrated "You are in no position to talk to me like that!" She started to land, but as she was doing so, her leg gave out once again, and this time she let herself be tended too. "First my bond is killed. Yet you still talk to me like this and let the murderer stand among st you. I fail to see why Shane give his life to save you in the first place."(edited)
18:00
(This happens right after smokswirl says her thing)(edited)
Onora had tucked her dagger away as she sat down. She wanted to help Howard but, she wasn’t good enough for that. The halflander decided to tend to her own wounds, wrapping fresh bandages as she discarded the old ones.
Howard finished cleaning the bat’s leg and wrapped a tourniquet around it tightly. He shook his head. “There is a small chance of infection, but the bigger risk is nerve damage. You have ripped multiple tendons. You need to be operated on, urgently.*”
Jexus sighed. “I do not know. Howard says so, but it make take months for me to adjust to seeing out of on eye.” Jexus felt Onora lean her head against him. “But we must have hope. A very wise man once told me that hope is very hard to find, but you must find it anyway.”
"Shane didnt caare for you to be honest. Not until he realized what Ripred was up too. He was with you guys the whole time on all your adventures. YOu never realized that Ripred was a spy for the gnawers, cutters, and crushers. He was A SPY. When Shane realized, he confronted Ripred, only to have gotten in a fight. Shane tried, so hard, but was fatally injured. He could have gotten medically helped and still lived but he chose to come here on my back and warn you as a last word. He is not who you think he is."
Howard felt his temper rising at the arrogance this flier was showing. “If you have no proof, then there is nothing we can do. And as Smokeswirl said, we have a mission.”
Howard had almost reached his limit. “We have told you our position on this. You have done nothing but insult us and our companions since you arrived.” Hiward turned to address his friends. “We have a mission, and I recommend we continue in with it.”
"YOUR PATHETIC MIND CANT EVEN FATHOM THE FACTS OF THE INCONSPICUOUS SANDWICH MUCH LESS UNDERSTAND HIM. I AM HERE BECAUSE MY BOND DIED AND YOU GUYS DONT CARE. LET THE MURDERER WALK."
" RIPRED YOU ARE AN INSULT TO YOUR KIND, A BLASPHEMOUS MISTAKE IN REGALIA HISTORY, AND DESERVE TO BE ERADICATED IN THE MOST TORTUOS WAY. YOU KILLED SHANE!!!!!!!!"
Ripred, unable to help himself finally showed his claws. He pressed the cold, sharp claws against his neck. “Now listen here. You stop telling these lies or I will end you right here, right now.”
"HAHAHAHHAHAHAHA. YOU WERE SO TINY. I SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU THEN. YOUR WORTHLESS PARENTS WERENT EVEN ABLE TO SAVE YOU. THEY SCREAMED LIKE LITTLE GIRLS. BUT I SUPPOSE YOU DONT KNOW WHO THOSEARE EITHER."(edited)
Nexus slipped out without a word. "My orders have been fulfilled. The conquest may begin. She rose up and screamed. Instantly hordes of crushers came and pounced upon the motley crew while Nexus flew away."
"RUN!" Screamed Smokeswirl. "We can't win this!"
-
Demeter screamed in shock, immediately launching into action. She scooped up Michael and Smokeswirl on her back.
Ripred simply stayed on the ground, stunned at the scene, and shielded herself as they started to attack Ripred, before another rat came by and started attacking the crushers. “ Run! She warned to Riored, and he started to run away.
As Demeter rocketed away with Michael and Smokeswirl, a beetle grabbed her wing. The membrane tore painfully, and she shrieked, but forced herself to keep flying. The cut grew wider, but she wrenched herself free.
"WHAT THE HELL?" Screamed Demeter, beating her wings harder. She wanted to turn around and help Genor, but she was dedicated to getting her passengers away and to safety. They couldn't win.
Onora had hopped onto Jexus, putting pressure on a fresh wound. It was small. She cleaned it with peroxide, and fixed it up. Her mouth dropped open, it was, GENOR?!
He ran to Genor, drew his sword and started attacking the crushers, with the same feeling of everything slowing down, which made it way easier to fight.(edited)
Onora felt as if she had to help. She kept off of Jexus as she landed on the ground. It was obvious, she knew where to go. With her dagger she sliced through a Crusher, one ripped through her shirt, she tried to kick it away.
Demeter rushed in and took her usual spot in a battle: Soaring around the scene and helping out anyone in trouble. Smokeswirl stayed on her back, unable to fight.
Genor realized he was slowly losing, even with the new rat by his side, and quickly retreated. “Michael!” Genor yelled. “I have seen you fight, we need you down here with us!”
Edwynn, realizing she was needed on the ground, flips off of Cass and lands squarely in front of Genor, running her sword through the crusher in front of him. Pick them off! She yelled to her bond and the other fliers.
Just as Ripred was slowly being overtaken with the excessive amount of crushers, he finally started to attack them more, until he started raging and was killing them by then tens.(edited)
Demeter rushed down and picked Genor up onto her back. She intended to drop him back in in a second, she just needed to know. "Genor! Is it really you?"
-
Smokeswirl looked at him. "You have a lot of explaining to do!"
One of the crushers has cut her leg, and tossing her to the ground. She limped to get up. Reaching up into the air, her hand was out. No—-she needed her foot in the air. She gasped, “Jexus!” She yelled loudly, stepping in a small crusher. She lifted her foot into the air, hoping he got what she meant.
Michael picked himself up from the ground and tried to run over to Genor but failed. He fell on his face and a crusher was running towards him. "Pick me up!" He called out desperately. "Please! Pick me up!"
Demeter dropped Genor lightly, and went to grab Michael, but swerved when Cass did. She collided into a Crusher, and her chest caught in its huge pincers.
Jexus heard her call, and turned towards her. With a sigh, he dived towards her. He pulled out of the dive just before he hit Onora, and pulled her into the air - or so he thought. In reality, his singular eye confused him. He pulled out of the dive too late, knocking Onora to the ground and hitting it himself a few seconds later. He barely had time to cover Onora with his body before the Crushers swarmed them, biting, scratching, clawing.
Cass turned her head toward Michael who was dangling from her claws. Are you familiar with air combat? She asked, tossing him up onto her back.(edited)
Nexus who was on a perch, decided it was time to strike and caught Ripred on the back making him stumble. Then she flew away again, this time for good.
Hold on with you legs, but not too tightly. I will not let you fall. Cass instructed, barrel rolling into battle. They noticed Jexus on the ground and flew to him.
She gasped for air, trying to escape from his wings. “GET THE HELL AWAY!” Onora began lashing out, Crushers being flung left and right. The ring around them grew larger. One grabbed her arm and dragged her arm into the crowd.
“No!” Jexus screamed, launching himself after the cutter that had took Onora. He took its head off with one bite, the tangy purple blood splashing into his mouth.
*On the ground Edwynn saw her bond rocket by with Michael in tow. As she turned her attention back to the battle she spotted Ripred struggling off to her right. She sprinted for him, jumping on the backs of crushers. After reaching him she turned 180 degrees and stood to defend him.(edited)
She gave out a bloodcurdling cry of pain, blood dripping out of her arm greatly. Onora couldn’t fight, her dagger shattered. “Fly! Flee!” She yelled to Jexus.
Jexus caught Onora’s eye, and the battle seemed to slow down around them. “Not without you. Never without you.” he said simply. With a sudden roar, he opened his wings wide, knocking away the crushers swarming them.
Demeter twisted in the air, free falling with Smokeswirl for a second. But she righted herself, and flew to Ripred. She grabbed his shoulders with her claws, lifting him in the air. She couldn't carry him far, nearly dropping him every few feet, but she got him to safety.
Onora had tears streaming from her eyes. She tried to stand up but a Crusher has caught her leg. The halflander kicked it away as she took Jexus’s claw. “Fly now!”
Edwynn, after watching Demeter tow Ripred away, ran to Onora and Jexus. She sliced the crusher around Onora’s legs cleanly in two. GET UP! She bellowed at Onora. Signaling for Cass to swoop in and grab them.
Demeter collapsed on the ground. Her wing membrane was torn, and she had a large V shaped cut on her chest from where the Crusher had grabbed her. Smokeswirl fell off, mostly uninjured as she had been on Demeter the entire flight.
Edwynn replaces Jexus’ eyepatch with a clean dressing and anoints the smaller wounds on his back. I will have to sew some of them up. Drink this to numb the pain while I attend to Onora.
Howard groaned inwardly. Why did everyone have to be so heroic?
20:11
“I have to attend to someone, and both of you telling me to check on the other one is not going to help. Now lie down and drink this.” Howard told Michael.
No. Let me wrap it. Edwynn insisted, finishing attending to Onora. Do you have any other injuries you haven’t told me about? She asks, raising an eyebrow.
Howard had come to check on Onora, but his eyes widened when he saw her leg. He cursed under his breath. “There is no way I have the supplies to fix this here.”
“Yes I should be dead. After you left me on the ground, I thought I was dead too, but not quiet. I was slowly drifting in and out of consciousness the entire time, only finally to wake up in a small cave where Shredder was attending to my wounds.”
“I help heal his wound, and helped him get back on his feet. Like Ripred, I was cast out and happens to see him on the ground. Anyway, I trained him and he learned fast.” Shredder said in a hoarse voice.(edited)
She could barely stay awake at this point. Her words slurred together. “O~okay..just—do what needs to be done.” Onora drifted into into unconsciousness.
Howard gave her two vials to drink, one to relax her muscles and another to numb her leg. He pulled out one of the unlit torches they had brought with them, and prepared a match.
She had instantly became perplexed, afraid of what was to happen, would she survive? Onora watched the two, try to save her life. The bugs crawled in and out of the wound in her leg, as it was inflamed and oozed.
Howard instructed her to place her hands above and below the wound. “Put as much pressure on it as possible, and whatever you do, however hot it gets, do not let go.”(edited)
Howard exhaled, then lit the torch. He let it burn for a couple seconds, before wiping away as much blood as he could and pushing the tip of the torch against Onora’s leg.
The smell of the medicine had made her nostrils flare. She didn’t want this to happen. Her violet eyes widened as the blood began to bubble. Onora had screamed in pain. Letting out tears.
Howard wiped away the blood and burnt flesh, and tightly wrapped a bandage around Onora’s ’s leg. He then wrapped a second bandage above the wound, to limit the amount of blood going to her leg.(edited)
"Fine. But if you're plotting something, know that we will not let it happen." Smokeswirl growled. "Trusting humans is always a mistake." She mumbled, walking over across the cave.
“Let her sleep.” Howard said finally, standing up. “She’ll have plenty of time to feel pain later on.” Howard walked a little away from the group, wiping his hands on his shirt.
Howard forced himself to get up. He check on Michael, spent half an hour sowing up Demeter wings then finally attended to Ripreds scratches and cuts. luckily none of them were very deep, and only two needed stitching.
Howard only got a chance to rest a couple hours after they had landed. He finished up sowing a small wound in his own calf, then washed his hands and sat back, leaning his head on Nike.
“Remember when me and Ripred got to the lands a day late? That’s because we spent a day trying to find the Amenine flowers. You see, he has a rare disease called Amenine, which slowly takes away your memories and throw you into incontrollable frenzies through some means. For Ripred, it was that every time he raged, he would be pushed closer and closer to the point of losing his memories. And once that has happened, he will slowly be pushed closer and closer until there is no returning. We have prepared a vial that should start helping him.(edited)
Nike had sighed, looking silently at Howard. She felt she needed to say it, now to. So no more pressure was put onto him. “Howard the Underlander,”(edited)
Nike had looked at Howard, a feeling a pain had jabbed her heart. She did not want to see Howard like this. She was happy he accepted. The flier had hugged him with her wings quietly.
Nexus screamed and retreated. Coilthroat whacked Genor, shoveing his claw up and into his stomach. Then Coilthroat looked at Genor, as if this wasn't over yet and ran.
21:11
(the only point of this attack was to wound you farther)
Smokeswirl watched as Coilthroat ran. She panted with exhilaration and fear, turning to the wounded who she had defended during the fight: Michael, Onora, and Demeter. She didn't speak, but her eyes questioned if they were alright, despite two being out cold.
(Ib sry)
Sky was up, standing guard and when he saw Onora wake up he walked over.
(That would be pretty funny (not funny but.. yknow what I mean) ngl)(edited)
Smokeswirl looked at her without reaction. "I know you're hurt, but can you administer basic first aid to these three?" She beckoned to Genor, Ripred, and Shredder.
Chai had descended with urgency, crouching to let the Underlander off. “Take the supplies over there.” The flier had pointed to the group, helping Anne.
"And what proof do you have of that? And you have yet to tell us who you are." He wasnt normally this protective, but again after the two attacks, any unknown is very scary.
Howard fumbled with the medkit, eventually finding an anaesthetic and pouring it down Genors throat. He cleaned the blood away from the wound, poured some ethanol over it to kill any infections and began to slowly stitch it back up.
“She wanted you to have more, plus some Underlanders who could actually fight.” Chai continued to speak. “Your scent is very—obvious, as I have a good nose. I could smell Jexus from a mile away.” The flier joked.
Smokeswirl looked around. "A lot happened. We were first attacked by a Flier and many Crushers, but we escaped. Later in the night, a lone Gnawer came and attacked while very few of us were awake."
Genor refused. “Where’s... where’s Ripr-“ He looked over to the fainted Ripred in horror. “Howard... get me the leather pouch.” He said urgently.(edited)
Howard check on Smokeswirl. The cuts she had suffered had healed well, and she no longer needed bandages. He wiped and rewrapped Demeter chest, and made sure that her wing membrane worked fine.
Howard gave Jexus some painkiller and redid the bloodiest of his bandages, then turned to Onora. He gingerly unwrapped the now blood-soaked bandage around her leg and gasped.
Genor slowly said, “Remember how his condition would get worse until he got the vial and it would speed up considerably when he raged? Well, when he raged, even for a split second against Coilthroat, it was enough. I fear... I fear he is a goner now.”
Genor gasped. “It was a rare disease in for the Gnawers hundreds of years ago. It would slowly wipe out their memories until they were a blank slate and couldn’t even formulate complete strings of thoughts. Eventually, the flowers causing this was removed, but a few remain. One got a hold of Ripred, and infected him. He told me on the walk to the Lands, and had a frenzy that almost killed me (a side affect, to act irrationally). I eventually told this to Shredder, who had a few curing flowers and we quickly made a vial. However, she warned me that I must get it to him before he was too far gone, and I fear that point has just now come when he tried to fight against Coilthroat...” Genors voice broke and trailed off.(edited)
"Oh, oh no..." Demeter said quietly, looking sadly to Ripred.
17:22
Smokeswirl looked down, feeling flushed. She had acted harshly against Ripred, even attacking him when he was framed. She was full of regret, but couldn't apologize. It was like Blackbite all over again.
“When I was bleeding in the street in which you left me, Shredder had found me. Already an outsider, she took me in. She taught me about his disease and I came by to The uncharted lands, in attempt to find you.”
She twisted and turned after Howard left. Sitting up to examine her leg, she rubbed it gingerly. It burned badly. She began to cry into Jexus, hoping he was awake. She needed him right now.
Jexus had been deeply asleep, but awoke when Onora started shaking him. He could feel her tears wetting his fur, and wrapped his wings tightly around her. He wished there was more he could do, but knew he just had to let her cry herself out.
Howard addressed the group. “I know we are all injured, but we are still dangerously close to the battlefield from last night. If we can move, we should.”
(Ok so I was checking the news app and the top four stories were:
- Children’s TV star dies age sixteen
- 12-year-old boy dies weeks after being told he was cancer free.
- 28 dead as bus overturns on Portuguese Island
- Russian hiker found dead chained to a tree two years after his disappearance
What is wrong with this world)(edited)
Demeter stretched her wings, one of which had a long row of stitches running across it. "I can carry." She said, looking to the group for anyone to mount.
*The tunnel began to widen, with odd rock formations decorating the walls and ceiling. Smokeswirl, who had been half asleep, raised her head and began to sniff, whiskers twitching. * "Eyes up, everyone. There is an odd smell in this cave I cannot identify."
Sky checked his magazine and counted up the rounds in case of any more trouble. 5 left. That wasnt good. He looked to the rest of the group and then to the tunnel ahead.
She grunted as she was ‘thrown’ onto the tunnel floor below. Onora winced in pain. The halflander tried to reach for her leg, trying to cease the blood flow.
“It is infected, badly.” Howard swallowed. “If we were back at the Fount, it is possible it might be salvageable , but here... we only have one choice.”(edited)
18:35
Howard set his mouth straight. “We must cut it off.”
Anne looked at Chai with watery eyes and looked back at Onora, she never felt such sorrow before, she didn’t want a comrade to be injured or even worse...die
Howard began gathering what he would need: bandages, a cloth to soak up blood, painkillers and anaesthetics, and something to actually cut off the leg.
Onora had grunted. Soon after began to cry. Her curly hair had draped in front of her face—so she didn’t have to watch. She looked like a 5 year old seeing a murder happen.
An axe or machete would be best, but they only had swords. Howard examined them before choosing the one Gregor was carrying, a short thick one with a sharp blade. It would cut through the bone easiest.
Howard laid a hand on Onora’s arm. “I am so sorry.” he said “But you must be awake for the procedure. You must tense your leg, otherwise the sword will not cut it cleanly.”(edited)
She nodded shakily, tears dripping off her cheeks. Onora had tightened her leg muscles, hoping it would be fast. She trusted Howard—with her life even. “Go.” Onora had whispered.
18:43
“Be quiet.” Chai had said to Anne quietly. “Howard needs silence.”
Howard began by scratching a small white line just below Onora’s knee, a couple centimetres above the wound. Hopefully the infected blood hadn’t reached there yet, otherwise this would all be for nothing. But Howard had to make a compromise between saving as much of her leg as possible and making sure he wouldn’t be leaving any infection in her body.
18:45
Howard gave Onora a small white vial to drink. It would numb her entire body, but not stop her from being able to tense the leg.(edited)
Onora’s whole body began to quiver. She tried to keep her leg tense, tears streaming out of her eyes. She hugged Jexus tightly, ready to scream from the intense pain in her leg.
The feeling of the liquid splash against her face made her cry loudly. She screamed, tears running down her face. Blood spewed everywhere, her leg was—partially gone. She sounded like a baby, she couldn’t deal with this.(edited)
18:52
Chai had gagged at the sound, bending over. She felt sick
It took three more cuts to fully slice through the leg. Howard threw the sword aside and lit the torch, letting it burn for a couple seconds as he wiped away the blood and tried his best to sterilise the wound.
All she could feel was the heat that came onto her leg. It was on and off. She guess he was trying to save the leg to the best of his ability. “Is—is it bad?” She said, her lips quivering.
With a grunt Howard thrust the torch at Onora’s stump, holding it there for five seconds until he pulled it sharply away and dumped it in the bucket of water he had put beside him. He poured more water over the sizzling flesh, wincing at the smell that had finally reach his nostril.
Howard wiped away the blood with a slightly damp cloth, forcing back the bile that arose in his throat. He pulled out a type of bandage Onora had never seen before, it had a yellow tint to it. He wrapped it tightly around her stump, gently turning her leg around.
18:59
Howard finally finished cleaning and bandaging her leg, and then poured a blue vial down her throat. She fell asleep instantly.
19:00
He leaned back on his knees, nodding to Jexus that he could let her go now.
Anne went from with a small smile to a gloomy frown and with no more sparkle in her eyes, “ the way Onora’s leg was chopped up and her loud cries echoing through the cave, just made me loose it, I couldn’t take it”
Howards eyes drifted shut. He hadn’t slept on days, being buffeted between medical emergencies and watch duty, and then Nike bonding with him and now this.
Sky glanced around the group again and hr watched the tunnel they came in from, keeping his hand near his waist.Gregor did the same for the other tunnel, only hand near his sword.(edited)
Smokeswirl's nose twitched and her brow furrowed. She still could not place the scent that was in the cave. It was further masked by the smell of blood, singed flesh, and the faint scent the rogue Gnawers left as they passed through.
Anne didn’t know what to do or say, all she could do was just stare at them, but finally was able to speak up. “H-how’s Onora feeling?” As she crouched down to look at Onora, peacefully sleeping next to Jexus
Jexus laughed slightly. “I don’t know, she’s asleep.” Jexus could feel the sharp stones rubbing against his back wounds, but didn’t dare move in case he disturbed Onora.
Anne looked at Jexus, she could see that he wasn’t really okay, and that he felt anxious about Onora. Anne sat closer to Jexus, “ Does Onora snore when she sleeps??”
Anne looked at Chai, hilariously upset “ Chai! I was doing so well!” Anne loudly whispered to Chai, upset at the fact that Anne was doing so well at making friends
Anne slowly breathed in and out, thinking that she would calm down and act cool“ so uhh, yeah! I was assigned to be Chai because I was so good at sword baking- I MEAN FIGHTING!!”(edited)
"Its nice to meet you Anne!" He said in a friendly voice, trying to distract her from what happened before, and maybe even give her another friend.(edited)
Anne looked at Jexus before asking Sky to play “ oh and, sorry that I made you the culprit because of my awkward self, I hope to be on friendly terms with you and Onora!”
Demeter fluttered over, after having calmed herself down from seeing the amputation. "Smokeswirl insulted you yet?" She smiled. "I'm Demeter, I am not sure that we have met yet."
“Oh!- umm no problem hehe!”Anne chuckled. “ Um excuse me for a sec.” she went over to Chai who was at the other side and nudged her. “ Chai, Chai! I made friends!!”(edited)
Michael tried to do a cartwheel away from Anne out of nowhere from the ground and collapsed when he put pressure on his leg. It started hurting more so he stole some painkillers from Howard’s bag while he was reading and took more.
Onora had awoke again, feeling better than before. She didn’t want to collapse onto the floor. The halflander brushed her hair out of the way. She looked down at her leg, it was real. Onora spotted Howard, but soon averted her gaze.(edited)
“Oh—er..Sorry.” She said softly, sliding off of Jexus. Onora had spotted the new Underlander running over to her. “I—-I am fine.” *The halflander said tiredly.
Jexus breathed a sigh of relief when Onora got off him, and stretched his wings gingerly. “Do not try and stand up.” he said, focussing back on Onora. “Sit and rest for a while. I will get you some food and drink.”
Anne sighed and smiled at Onora “ I’m so glad that you’re alright. I would love to introduce myself to you now, but I think I have to go.. stop a fight”
Onora had screamed as the gnawer us grabbed her. She struggled to get out, but her injured leg wasn’t helping at all. “HELP!” She cried, passing the group.
Genor, outraged that someone told him that it was Coilthroat,, screamed in fury. “I’ll BURY YOU NEXT TO YOUR PATHETIC BAT,” And took off in great speed.(edited)
Chai had back tracked the way they came, swooping to pick up Sky. She tore Coilthroat off of Sky and flew off with the two. “Anne tend to his wounds now!”(edited)
As the fight ended, Smokeswirl spilled out of the protection of Demeter's wings, chest heaving. Her eyes reflected terror. Memories of the battle that took Blackbite flashed through her head.
Nike flew safely to the ground. She noticed Jexus struggling. The flier had flew over to the webbing and tried to cut off the pieces. She quickly freed Jexus from the webs.
Howard quickly poured a small clear vial down Sky’s threat then gently removed Gregors hands from Sky’s back. He exhaled in relief. “It is not nearly as deep as I feared, and is nowhere near his spine. He will need stitches, but will otherwise be fine.”
Howard turned to Onora after bandaging Sky. He began by gently cleaning the cuts around her head, but soon pronounced them of little harm. She was otherwise fine, but Howard promised to check on her leg after he had finished with everyone else.(edited)
Howard wished he could help Anne, but he had more important matters. Jexus was covered in cuts and bruises, some that would need stitches. His eye was bleeding again, which was not a good sign.
Howard nodded, and gingerly unwrapped Jexus’s bandage. He was surprised to see that the eye itself had healed nicely, the blood was coming from a small wound above Jexus’ eyebrow. Howard quickly cleaned that, but it was too awkward to out a bandage on.
Suddenly, Genor couldn’t take it anymore. He curled up into a ball and started to cry on Michael’s lap, not effecting Michael at all. He cried himself to sleep.
Onora had rummaged through the med-kit. Finding the peroxide she needed to clean the wounds. “This may sting a bit.” The halflander had dumped some of the peroxide onto his cuts, drying them. She proceeded to grab a needle and threaded it. Onora had stuck the sharp needle through his skin and out, sewing up the cuts she could find. “Any others?”
Howard glanced around at everyone else. They all seemed a little bruised, but there were no other serious injuries. Howard gently pulled Onora away from Jexus. “I can finish that.” he said. “You sit down, rest. You likely have a concussion.”
”Moment of truth.” *Howard said as he slowly unwrapped Onora’s bandages. Fortunately, however, the leg look clean of infection. It was still covered in blood and burned flesh, however, se Howard gave Onora some painkiller before sterilising the stump and rewrapping it.(edited)
A few members off the group were still awake. Like Anne, Onora, and Chai, probably more. If anyone needed her she would be woken up by the others. She casted a glance at Howard. Onora then drifted off into oblivion.(edited)
She examined her bond slowly before sitting back down. Her back ached some, hopefully it was just a scratch she has received over night. “Do you—Uh feel alright to fly? We may as well get food for the others.”
08:52
Chai had looked down at Anne before backing up, letting her have some space. “I am not to sure.”
Anne looked around to see Onora and Jexus, awake with cuts and bruises from last night. She wanted to go over there to see if they were alright, but didn’t because of the pressure on her body, weighing her down(edited)
Chai’s expression had flickered as she looked around the tunnel. It was dry, no water or food was going to be located within this tunnel. She would make a proposal once the others were to get up.
“Chai, why are we to follow them?”Anne was *confused to why we need to keep an eye with them. But then remembered that they are flying... injured. “Why are they flying? They are clearly injured,” she whispered into Chai’s ear(edited)
“Because,” She said softly, she tried to keep up with Jexus. “They have found the foods.”
09:14
Onora had nodded. “I brought something with me, I can’t tell if it’s useful or not.” She said, holding out a small thing. It was round, with a sharp point at the end.
Anne looked up to see that they weren’t in the air anymore, but down onto the ground “Chai look down they are near the stream” signaling to land(edited)
After ten minutes of wrestling around for fish, he finally emerged. “I got one!” He screamed in joy, only to have it slip from his hands and swam away.
Anne looked at Genor and gave him a small smile “ it’s okay, I’ll help you catch one.” Anne looked back at the stream. She stepped into the steam and pulled out her sword “ sorry little fishies, your deaths will not be in vain,” Anne launches her sword to the water. 5, she caught 5 fishes all at once(edited)
Anne chuckled and smiled at Genor “ well I am in Luxa’s army and she does send us on missions that take for days to complete,” She went over to Genor and patted his back “Don’t worry though, I can teach you how to catch multiple fishes at once,” giving him a small smile
Jexus had been staring into the water, but with a sudden jerk he forced his head down, catching large fish in his mouth, which he promptly swallowed whole.(edited)
Anne couldn’t help but laugh. she walked over to Genor and put her hand on his shoulder “ be careful with that sword, or your gonna prick yourself.” Anne held onto Genor’s sword “ here, what you want to do is stand still, like a tree. Then, when the fish comes very close to you, wait for a few seconds and then, ‘BAM!’ you caught the fish!”
Genor walked into the water, and stood still for a good minute, waiting for the fish. As soon as it came by, he struck down with the sword and managed to catch one, all while pricking his other foot. "YES!" Genor screamed in delight, who couldn't be bothered about his now bleeding toe.(edited)
Smokeswirl woke up from her troubled dreams, whiskers twitching. The scent that she had been catching was even stronger, but she couldn't place it still.
-
Demeter lifted her head, as she was watching the others fish. Her ears were pricked, moving around to catch any small noise. "Something is heading towards us. From the south."
17:07
"It sounds like wingbeats. But... not Crusher wings. Softer."
From one end of the tunnel, what looked like a cloud floated in. Though, when it grew closer, it was obvious that it was no cloud. A single, large moth, a bit smaller than a Flier. It was white and tan, with huge black eyes and feathery antennae. It was like nothing Demeter had seen before.
"I am Floss, sent by the Kingdom when you were spotted in our caves. We hope that you come in peace, unlike the others of your kind who passed through weeks before. We extend our wings in greeting." The moth spoke in a soft voice, almost hard to hear. It was like the faint tingling of bells.
Floss fluttered, seeming to be pleased with Howard's answer. "A small group of those creatures passed through. They attacked and killed many of us, as we have few defenses." As they mentioned 'those creatures,' Floss beckoned to Smokeswirl and the other Gnawers with one leg.
-
Demeter lightly shook Michael awake, pointing the moth with her wing's claw.
Jexus glanced around. At Onora’s missing leg, Michael subtly reaching for the painkillers, Sky lying on his stomach clutching his back. “We may take some time to get ready, but we would be honoured to stay with you.”
Jexus didn’t want too pushy, but even he realised they could hardly move in their current state. “If you have people to spare, but please do not go to any trouble.”
The moth didn't reply, but turned away. It moved its wings in odd patterns, flashing the small markings of circles and lines into the open tunnel. A few moths, grey as the stone, seemed to melt out of the walls. They must have been there for a while. Four landed around Floss.
18:48
Smokeswirl was taken aback, briefly baring her teeth at the insects. But she backed down, trying to appear less intimidating.
Genor immediately rolled off Demeter and fell one of the moths, startling it but not tripping it over. “Sorry,” he half mumbled before going back to sleep.
Floss led the group down the tunnel, and in around half an hour, the tunnel opened up very suddenly. A huge, round cavern filled their view. Greyish vines covered the walls, decorated with little white flowers. Their breaths were clearly visible in the cold air. Clinging to the vines, and fluttering in the air, were hundreds of large moths.
18:56
Demeter fluttered gleefully in the open air. "It is a beautiful place."
Floss looked to Howard. "We are located near many large ice formations in the earth. And we do not have a leader, but make our decisions as a group. We rarely run into other species', and most of our disputes are small. We need no leader." The moth explained in their soft voice.
They all lit gently on the ledge. The stone-colored moths dropped their riders, and fluttered off into the cavern. "Feel free to spend the time you need here, and ask as many questions as you have. I will remain with you in case you have necessities to be filled." Floss twitched their antennae.
“An NO. And I mean NO more painkillers for Michael.” Genor said, still salty with the tremendous show of strength from Micahel and him overpowering him.(edited)
"I will fetch the discarded cocoons." Floss fluttered off into the cavern, returning after a few minutes with several large, silken cocoons on their back.
Demeter lay awkwardly on the ground, wishing that she could cling to the roof of the cave like normally. But she was still uncertain that everyone was safe.
Jexus lowered his voice. “I’m still not sure about these creatures, we should still have a watch. I can take first shift.” he said, despite his back aching terribly.
The moth grew still, fluttering their wings. They did not answer for a dragging minute. "No, not the Prowlers... Do not bring them to us... Not the Prowlers..." Floss seemed to be whispering, in an even quieter tone than their normal speaking voice.
Genor was in the corner trying to remind Ripred how to talk to no avail. The white, blank, helpless eyes just stared back at him and watching him helplessly explain something to him.(edited)
Jexus frowned, and moved towards Floss. He didn’t want to alarm her, but she seemed to know about them. “Do... do you know of them? Can you tell us anything?”
Genors voice slightly shook. “We have lost so much, I have even lost my... bond of some sort. I’m sorry if it pains you to do so, but there may be no Underland in as soon as tomorrow, and we must know this. Please”(edited)
"We escaped in small numbers many years ago. Group by group. They did not have much reason to chase us. These were our original breeding grounds, and so we returned."
Edwynn swooped in on Cass, lightly jumping off and landing next to Michael and Genor. Greetings! I have brought fish. What has transpired in my absence? She asked in a cheerful tone.
Smokeswirl relaxed slightly. She didn't despise the moths. They were quiet, and answered her questions. "Is it possible for someone to assist with my bandages?" They were growing dirtied and displaced, and she worried that they may become infected. She despised asking for help, but had no other choice. If only she had hands.
Howard sighed, but went over to Smokeswirl. He took of a couple bandages, then exhaled in relief. “These cuts are almost healed. I will clean them, but you will not need any more bandages.” he told her, reaching for a cloth and some peroxide.
Smokeswirl audibly sighed with relief. As the bandages were removed, she noticed a bounty of new scars. A long time ago, she may have felt insecure about that. But she no longer cared how marred her pelt was.(edited)
After Onora’s, Howard looked at Demeter’s chest wound. He unwrapped it, and grimaced. There was no sign of infection, but the cut looked inflamed and some of the stitches and popped.
Howard shook his head. “It’s not your fault. You have to fly in that position. I could try restitching it, but it is likely to tear again whenever you fly next.” Howard finally decided to just rewrap it as tightly as he could and hope it healed soon.
Demeter looked down. "I suppose that means I am grounded."
-
Smokeswirl eyed Onora's leg. She had a variety of options. Lie, and say it was easy, or tell the complicated truth. "It will if you make an effort. But it will never be the same."
Genor tilted his head at Onora. "What kind of exercises? My dad was one-legged for a while before he.... You know what never mind. But nothing in the under land can help you Onora, I'm sorry."
Genor nodded back, but he feel like he broke a potential friendship again. "Dang it Genor, always ruining stuff with your attitude." He said quietly to himself.
(I mean my teacher decided to be a big meanie and delete all my work and Im waiting for her to text me "Its not my fault you were sick, you should have chosen a better time to be sick.")
Smokeswirl gave Genor an odd look. "Is that the Overlander way of saying 'How are you?' I have heard the Overlanders say it, but I do not understand." She avoided the question with her own.
"And how is everyone else? Has anything major emotional traumatic happen since?" Genor said, looking to poor Ripred, now looking blankly at a wall.(edited)
Smokeswirl eyed him for a moment. "You are very different from the way you were before." She noted that his rude demeanor had vanished. He was almost likable.
Genor nodded. "Yes, well I didn't have much of a personality in the overland. I talked to no one except playfully mess around with the rats. They did seem to adore me..."(edited)
"Well, do you know about crack in the overland? It had... that kind of effect on you." Genor said, worried even farther if he couldn't remember anything.
"You took painkillers for your leg, and you were pretty far gone. We could barely do anything to keep you from dying from falling onto your face once every few seconds."(edited)
Genor's smile fell and silenced. "Excuse me, I feel sleepy, and would perfer to be watching over Ripred anyway." Genor said with a little more snide to his voice.(edited)
"Hello." Demeter said, grooming her fur momentarily. "I assume that all has been well in the time I slept. Have our hosts shared anything else about the Prowlers?"
"Oh," Demeter said, glancing over to Floss, who seemed to be sleeping. "I feel very bad for them. They seemed very shaken up to even hear mention of the Prowlers." She spoke softly, as to not alert the wakeful moths that fluttered around.
Genor sighed from the corner. "Yes, although she was more than a friend. She was, kind of a bond, I think you call it in the Underland. She was the closest I have ever been to someone, and she was just like the rats in the Overland so I felt comfortable around her. I could open up to her, and Coilthroat just snatched her away from me just like he snatched her parents and-" Genor groaned in frustration.(edited)
17:17
(Replying a little late to Smokeswirls "Shes a friend?")
Smokeswirl looked at him with slight pity in her eyes. "Maybe they kept her alive." She said quietly.
-
"I am sorry, Genor. Losing someone so close must have hurt." Demeter said.(edited)
"And it's even harder for the fact that I don't want to hate him, its not even his fault for being this way." Genor looked at her and realized something. "And you don't know about Coilthroats story, do you?"(edited)
Genor sighed. "It was a type of plant they found while roaming around in The Underland a hundred years ago or so. They found it, and took it back to their lands. The presence of it was only disclosed to few, as they discovered it contained properties to turn the Gnawers into indestructible rats, and were always left with a thirst for blood. They were burnt away, and its dangerous side effects were lost with it. Now, it was rediscovered a few years and they put on a few Gnawers, (hoping to let that have a one-up in with the Underlanders) one of them being Coil, already a well-known rager in the Gnawer Lands. It turned him into a savage beast, and his already-rager powers let him have a one up on all the others and quickly murdered all the other rats that knew about this project in cold blood. His fur almost impenetrable, and his skin as think as Rubber. He could run at incredible speeds, and leap great heights. He quickly went rogue and abandoned the rats and left to some more powerful creatures. But, Shredder's parents were one of the Gnawers experimenting with this, and they died in front of Shredders eyes. And now he has her too.." He trailed off again, his eyes beginning to well with tears once more.(edited)
"Oh yes he does. A gold dagger can penetrate his skin and counter react with the toxins in his body, either killing him off or making him a normal rat. But even with out it-" Genor shook his head. "Some say even without his "powers", his rager skills are those of Ripred's and we know that he isn't up to walking properly, much less raging."
Demeter sighed. "I hope he will."
-
"Onora has golden weapons. But without Ripred, we're hopeless. Why does he even hate him so much, anyway?" Smokeswirl questioned. Ripred could be annoying, but this hatred was deeper.(edited)
"He knows what Ripred can do. He beat him multiple time before the "operation" went into effect. While gold is rare in the underland, it isn't in the Overland. And he knew taking out Ripred could almost diminish our chances."
"He doesn't want anything with her specifically, just wants us to go to her so he can kill us all off. He assumes that we are can easily be defeated in our current state, so he is toying with us."
"I don't think any of us can, unfortunately. But thank you for your assistance. Are there fish in the water below?" Demeter asked, beckoning to the wide stream of water that passed through the center of the cavern.
"Yes, there are fish." The moth answered.
Jexus’ ears pricked up at this. He had only caught one fish earlier, and was still hungry. He slowly coasted down to the stream running through the cave, and began his technique of slowly waiting and watching before slamming down with his mouth.
Genor started jabbing at the fish below him, and caught five after a few minutes. He looked over to Jexus’ painfully slow way of fishing and had an idea. “Do you want my fish? I’m not that hungry anyway.”
18:54
(Sorry that took so long)
18:57
(Okay so @DrBracewell, you would sleep around now in UK school weekdays?)(edited)
Howard noticed Genor’s annoyance, grinned slightly, and decided to help him out. “I can get some fish for you.” Howard told him, as he picked up his sword and jumped on Nike. Howard glided down to the river, and began fishing the same way Anne had, sharply pulling his sword in and out of the water, impaling a multitude of fish on it.
Jexus shook his head before catching a particularly large fish and swallowing it whole. “My ones are bigger.” he grinned. And besides, you said you were famished. You need to eat, regain your strength. You could probably even cook them.”
Howard shrugged, and pushed the seven fish he had managed to catch already into a bag. “Suit yourself, I guess. I’ll take these back and cook them for the rest of the humans.”(edited)
(I’m getting better at spotting when virtual Ripred will respond)
19:12
Howard spent a few more minutes impaling fish until he had a large pile, then jumped back on Nike and returned to their small camp. He managed to start a fire and began roasting the fish on a makeshift spit.
19:13
Howard noticed Sky awakening, and rushed over. “Hey, take it easy. Do not try to get up. You were wounded in the back, but it is not deep. Just give it some time to heal.”
Jexus noticed Genor struggling, and after satisfying his own hunger he began tossing any fish he caught onto Genor’s pile, despite the wounds on his back stinging crazily.
19:15
Howard soon had a large basket of cooked fish, and he began slowly giving them out to anyone who needed any, beginning by passing some to Sky.
Genor arrived with his basket of 50 or so fish, attempted to feed them to Ripred whole. After a while of doing so with no success, he simply just started splitting them up into little pieces and feeding them each of those pieces, and continued doing it for all of 50 of his fish, a very long and painstaking process.
Howard glanced over at the scene; Ripred’s glazy eyes staring into nothing as Genor slowly put little chunks of fish in his mouth. Howard could see the pain in Genor’s face, but averted his eyes when Genor started to choke back tears.(edited)
Onora had nodded, pulling up her hair in a small rubber band. She took the slimy fish out of Howard’s hands, biting into it raw. She had spit out the scales that were on the fish, and ate the meat.
She nodded, pulling out one of the golden daggers. They were jacked up, pieces missing from the black. In all honesty, it just made the thing more lethal.
Jexus nodded approvingly, and filled her in on Coilthroat’s background. “... and Genor says that the only thing that can really hurt him is gold. So perhaps he should take your dagger for now?”
Jexus frowned. “See, I told you to get food for yourself too. Now I bet you’re going to leech off my stash.* he said, wrapping his wing defensively around the pile of fish he had collected.(edited)
19:38
Howard seemed to notice that Onora was worried. He realised that now Genor had taken her dagger, she was left weaponless. “Here,” he said, pulling a dirk out of his belt and handing it to her. “Take this. It’s better than nothing.”
Howard returned to Sky, and gently spoke to him as he rewrapped his bandages. “We found some moths, or rather they found us, and now we’re resting in their home cave.”(edited)
Genor looked at the now-stirring Sky. "We are with the Moths. Or the Futterflys I guess." Genor said, slowly taking some of Jexus' fish without him noticing.(edited)
19:42
(Dang it Im sorry I got a new keyboard I cna usually type alot faster and this is throwing me off)
Smokeswirl finished her fish, and silently crawled over to Ripred. He was laying just out of earshot from the group. She looked into his face, empty of all expression. She felt a pang of regret. "Uh, hey, Ripred. I know you can't hear me, but..." She glanced at the group, hoping they wouldn't hear. "I'm sorry. For attacking you. And being so cruel. You were just sick."
Howard left Sky lying on the ground, then went to check on Demeter’s chest. Her wing seemed to have healed nicely, but the chest wound seemed painful and severe. Howard eventually decided to resow it, hoping they wouldn’t be flying again for a while. He gave Demeter some painkillers and went to work, beginning the slow process of stitching up the large cut.(edited)
Demeter sighed, accepting that she wouldn't be able to fly. She'd just have to make herself comfortable for the time being. She'd already ignored his warning from the day before, flying down to catch fish.
He started shaking a new vial and shoved it into Ripred's mouth, and his chest immediately loosened and he started breathing. Genor sighed a sound of relief.
"He's getting better. The real gamble is how far will he get. He could get back to his normal self or simply stop healing to the point where he could only say a few words." Genor looked over to Smokeswirl's eye, tears emerging, and immediately fainting from stress and tiredness.(edited)
Onora had adjusted herself against the bolder. Her back itches angrily as she did, but was unable to reached it. She rubbed up and down on the rock with her back, the jagged edge soothing her itch. She probably looked stupid doing so.
19:55
Nike was happily asleep on a ledge, hanging upside down. It looked as if she were squinting at the group angrily.
Jexus hadn’t officially been on watched duty, but his eye and back were aching too much to sleep, so he had been lazily lying on the floor whilst he squinted around at everyone else for the past six hours.(edited)
Genor jumped up. "Oh my god! Jexus! Jexus, sleep! Here, I have some pills if you really need this much help to get to sleep." Genor said as he mumbled around with some of his pills.
Onora awoke from her terrible sleep. She had groaned as she sat up, the rock dug into her back. “You need pain medication.” The halflander had hooked the medicine bag with her fingertips, bringing it over to her. She rummaged through the bag, pulling out a green vial. “Here.”
Genor looked at Onora's leg and slowly said. "You know, my dad lost a leg. He made 60k prothtestic leg, detachable. In fact, I still carry it around with me..."
Genor mumbled. "Me and my dad messed around with it a lot, and we made it so it could be molded to different legs and people. He was rich and smart and he used it to all of his ability."
20:11
Genor looked at her. "It was electronic powered, so many of it's products are already gone to waste. But, it still functions," he said, and he pulled out a small metal leg from his backpack.
20:13
He started sizing it up, and when trying to fit it through, it was clearly to big and clunky. In desperation, as he had no tools, he took out a small dager and started cutting and slicing at the leg. Sparks flew everywhere, and within an hour or so, it was ready for use.
Genor looked at her. "Yes, so all of its features may not come to use, it may not glow a fancy, blue LED, but it isn't a robot-powered tincan. It should still move with your leg."
Howard had awoken, and glanced over at the group gazing at the impromptu fake leg. “Try not to get the wound infected again.” he called over, too tired to do much else.
Genor looked at Onora. "Are you sure you want this? This is going to require some pain, and I need you to lay down and get you asleep. Once you do this, only Regalia can take it off after this."
“No thank you.” Onora said politely. Her soft violet eyes studied the fake leg, she would need it some time. Some day. Maybe now it wasn’t the best time.
She looked at him, feeling bad for interrupting his sleep. Onora had watched him awake. “You need to sleep more often.” She blurted. The halflander forgot what she was to say. So she made something up.
“Er—no I Uh.. forgot what I was going to say.” Onora said. She scooted closer to Jexus, letting him fall back to sleep. She softly wrapped herself inside of his wing.
Genor, finishing some of his fish from last night, dragged himself over to Gregor. “Hey! The warrior! You know, you’ve never really told me that whole story what did happen? No, forget that. Did you make any bonds? And how are bonds like? Is there like a ceremony to bond?” Genor was hyperactive and bursting with questions.
He thinks for a second. "I did in fact have a bond before. It.. didnt end well.. but having a bond is just like having a best friend, someone who you would do anything for and they would to you."
Genor didn’t understand. “Is it like just giving gifts to each other? Because that’s pretty chill considering what some other people do with their bonds.”(edited)
"Its much more than a gift now and again. A line in the phrase you recite is "our life and death are one, we two." Your lives are connected. Its like your lives are one."
Genor nodded, but there was something more pressing on his mind. “Gregor... can overlanders live here? I don’t think it’s a big surprise, but I’m just as lonely as Michael is, except just more depressed...”
Genor smiled. “Yeah, it’s kinda nice to get away from all the mayhem of the overland. And why would you live down here? Give got a family. Perhaps just, I don’t know, visit?”
Genor shrugged. “Well Yeah, but think about it this way. Do you want to find your soulmate in the Overland or the Underland, or have you already?” Genor said jokingly, a little too high from the weed he was smoking
Genor started laughing even harder, the weed getting the better of him now. “Olay Olay, onto more serious matters that I care about now. What are the Underlander’s opinion on “liking” a different species? Like a spider or something.”
Jexus awoke from sleep, and stretched slightly. He wandered over to Smokeswirl. "So, these moths have been great. But we still need to get to the crushers. When do we leave?"
Smokeswirl pondered for a moment, scratching her shoulder. “As soon as we can. I don’t know when that will be, though, since many of us are injured and Demeter can’t fly.”
Jexus nodded. He was bored, and decided to see if there was any more information he could get out of the moths. He slowly went up to Floss. "Hey. So... how long have you been here?"
Floss fluttered their wings. “We have lived in these lands since we escaped. Three generations ago.”
(Ik you meant sitting there but floss is a bit of a precious idiot)
A little over a week had passed, and the group had grown restless. The moths were amazing hosts, despite being a little odd, but their mission still awaited them. Most mention of the Prowlers was met with the moth equivalent of crying. However, two moths volunteered to come with them on the trip, to carry supplies and people. The first was Floss, and the other Satin, a moth grey like stone with eye-like patterns on their wings.Demeter’s chest wound had grown far less irritated, and had healed tremendously in the week. She was able to fly again, much to her relief. Smokeswirl’s new scars faded into her pelt along with the dozens of others that marred her.
(SHould we all just do like 1 sentence to describe what happened to us over the week? Like you just did.)
15:12
Over the past week, Jexus' back wounds had healed nicely. His eye was still painful, and he still wasn't used to moving and flying with just one eye, but he felt much better. He had grown restless, eager to continue with their mission. Howard had spent the week mainly with Nike, strengthening their bond whilst he regained his own strength.
Onora had practiced walking and training with her own leg, becoming better at using it than she had before. Nike had spent most of her time with Howard, strengthening their bond with each other. Chai had spent most of her time with Anne, being her motherly figure she never had.
Smokeswirl walked out in front of the group, squirming under their collective gaze. “It’s time we get going. I fear how much time we have wasted may have great consequences.” She said, flicking her tail in the direction of a tunnel that led southward.
Howard walked over to Onora, holding something on his hand. “Hey,” he said, holding a stick he had been holding. “I... uh... made this for you.” Onora took the staff. “You can use it as, like, a crutch, the the bottom end is sharp, so you can... I don’t know, stab things with it.” Howard offered her a backpack, with some ropes tied strangely around it. “You can strap it to this when you’re flying and don’t need to lean on it.”(edited)
Onora took the long piece of wood in her hand, feeling the sanded wood. She studied it, seeing the sharp edge on one side, and blunt on the other. This was quite convent, as it would help her walk, and she would also have a weapon. “Thank you Howard.” She said, giving him a gentle smile before hugging him.
Onora grinned. She brushed her hair out of the way, the pony-tail holder had broke the past week. The halflander had leaned on the stick, the blunt edge down on the ground. “You didn’t have to though.”
Jexus helped everyone pack up their supplies, then glanced around. Everyone seemed to know who they were going to ride on, so he knelt down to let Onora climb onto his back, then let a Ripred climb on too.
(Jexus: Ripred, Onora
Chai: Sky, Anne
Cass: Edwynn, Gregor
Demeter: Michael, Smokeswirl
Floss:
Satin:
Does anyone else not have a mount yet bc the moths can carry)
Floss and Satin fluttered into the air first, and Demeter followed close after. The trip was originally meant to be on foot, with Smokeswirl’s nose as a guide, but the moths knew the way. However, it had been generations since they’d escaped the Prowlers. They consulted with Smokeswirl on landmarks and other details.
Genor tilted his head. “Yes, how would they remember the location of it, for it has been generations since they last took that route. In fact, I think we could be better off without them.” Genor spoke somewhat smugly, still recovering from last nights weed(edited)
Sky catches the sword. "I used to love sword combat, lets see if I still got it. And a gun is a piece of metal that flings smaller pieces of metal at high speeds. Faster than you can imagine."
“It’s a handheld machine made by humans contains small circular balls made from lead that is fired at incredible speeds to pierce the human body, poisoning the body and possibly making them die from blood loss.” Genor said, looking at Demeter.
Howard laughed slightly, humbled by the power that lay in his hands. “Do not worry Genor. I know nothing of smithing. All I can do make sure people survive.” Howard seemed curious about the medical aspect of the bullets. “You say these small pieces of metal kill people? As in, always without fail?”
"Dad always has a concealed carry on him. When he... died.." Sky teared up at that. "being in a new place not knowing anything about it, I took it so it to be safe and so Id be able to have something of his with me.. and no, people can survive."
Jexus awoke from his rest, and motioned for everyone to start flying again. They had been making good time, and the moths said they were close to the Prowlers
Howard and Genor were riding on Nike. Howard suddenly turned to Genor. “Hey,” he began “Umm... about Shredder... we will find her. I can imagine how hard this is for you. If Nike had been taken from me, I... you shouldn’t have to go through this.”
Howard sat in silence for a couple minutes. “I lost my first bond, Pandora. She... she was eaten by carnivorous mites. Gregor almost lost his too, but he survived.” Howard glanced over to Gregor. “Not for long though.”
17:00
Howard seemed to come back to reality. “But I promise, the moment this is over, I will help you find Shredder. And I am sure the rest of us will too.” he said, gesturing towards the group.
Genor nodded sadly, as that was all he could do now. He had lost Ripred and Shredder, and both his parents, and couldn’t do much else before breaking down. “Thanks Man. I really appreciate it.”
17:01
“So, I take it that loss is a very common thing in the Underland?”(edited)
Howard smiled sadly. “Yes. I wish I could say otherwise, but I do not want to warp your vision of this place. The Underland is dangerous, even more so if you believe it not to be. All of us have suffered incredible loss and pain.”
17:03
“But there are moments, just small moments, that make it all worthwhile.”(edited)
Genor nodded once more, pretending, even for a second, that he understood the struggles that people go through down here. "How is the current relationship with the Rats, relatively. I mean, was it always this bad?"
Howard sighed. “That is a very long story. But I suppose we have time.” he shifted around on Nike. “For the short answer, no. There have been times of peace in the past. The current war started around 15 years ago, when the humans flooded a large part of the gnawer’s lands. The Garden of Hesperides, it was called. That set the cornerstone for the conflict up until Gregor arrived three years ago. He was destined to be the warrior, to defeat a rat known as the Bane. After a lengthy battle, he did just that, but it came with a price. Gregor lost his bond, and countless others also lost their lives.” Howard paused for breath. “After that, we hoped we could organise a treaty with the gnawers, but we soon collapsed back into our old habits. At this point, I am not sure there can ever be true peace until one species is gone.”
Genor looked at him in shock. "Well, human nature isn't doing the best for us in the Overland either. We fear we may have caused unfixable damage to the planet of Earth. In fact, some have already gave up hope and are looking for other planets to colonize on. But do the majority of us, 8 billion people care? No, we go about our lives and continue to ruin our place. In short, there is no good place to be." Genor said, quite rushed and in anger.
Howard stared back at Genor. “Perhaps humans are the problem. There are rumours that when Sandwhich first colonised Regalia, he drove out the diggers, indigenous species that lived there. He poisoned their water supply, forcing them to move away.” Howard dropped his gaze. “It sounds like Underlanders and Overlanders are not too different after all.”
Howard smiled at that. “Well you were there when Jexus and Onora did, right?” Howard stuck out his hand. “It’s quite simple really. You just hold your bond’s hand and say some words.
Genor the Overlander, I bond to you.
Our life and death are one, we two.
In dark, in flame, in war, in strife,
I save you as a save my life.”
Howard grinned. “And then you can have a huge party and get high af”
“Well, if you, for example, run away from your bond during battle, then it counts as treason, and you will be executed. But if you do something illegal, your bond will also be blamed for it. So it works both ways.” Howard furrowed his brow. “And whilst humans have only ever bonded with fliers, Queen Luxa bonded with Ripred two years ago, in addition to her flier Aurora. That has never happened again though.”
Howard grinned slightly. “I never talked to Aurora about it, but she seemed fine. And Ripred... well, who knows what goes on in his head. He likes Luxa, though. That much I know.”
Howard laughed too, enjoying this moment with Genor. “I’m sure Ripred seems that way, but he actually has a really soft heart. Why else would he bond to Luxa?”
Genor straightened up. "No, I have nothing to go back to. I sat in the corners of the Overland, forgotten. People threw pennies at me as if that would benefit me. It was all I could do not to starve to death."
Genor laughed. "You know nothing about death and war. I'm sorry if that came out rude, but we have killed each other in cold blood. It is more divided up there than down here."
Genor spoke quietly. "The people who killed my parents. I knew who they were, they their friends. I went up there one night, after a long investigation at the police station. The police assumed I killed them. So I went up to there room with a knife..." Genor broke down into tears and curled up into a ball, thinking about that night again.
“I am sorry for your loss.” Howard said gingerly. “But do not presume to lecture us on war, Genor.” Howard’s eyes seemed tired. “I have seen and done things you would never dream of. Horrible things.”
Howard suddenly felt a wave of pity towards Genor. He was only fourteen. “My apologies, Genor.” he said. “I did not mean to offend or demean you. I cannot imagine what it must of been like when your parents died.”
Howard said nothing. The group flew on silently. “Twelve...” Howard looked up, and Genor could see the pain in his eyes. Howard did not know what to say, but he hoped Genor knew how sorry he was for him.
Smokeswirl propped herself up slightly on Demeter. "Does anyone else find it odd that we haven't been attacked again? We're so much closer to the Crushers than we were before."
Jexus shook his head. “At this point, peace is too much to ask for. They’ve attacked us multiple times, without warning or reason. The only thing left for us to do is fight back.”
As the group moved through the tunnels, it became more and more obvious that something was off. The most unsettling thing was the overwhelming lack of... anything. Most of the tunnels behind them had water, and some plants, but these tunnels were nothing but dark, dry rock. There were hints that suggested water had been there once, like dry riverbeds and cracked stalactites, but nothing remained. There was absolutely no life.
Sky tightened his grip on the grip with the lack of life. His gut was screaming at him to get out of there but he didnt listen and got ready in case something happened.
As the group progressed deeper into the tunnel, it... changed. Instead of the sharp natural terrain, the cave walls looked smoothed down, and the cave itself was almost a perfect circle.
18:56
Jexus was concerned. What could have made the cave look like this?
“Yeah, I mean? I don’t really know.” Onora had said, rubbing her hand up and down her forearm. She leaned on the stick quietly, helping her keep balance.
Her eyes trailed to the ground, her gaze was—confused. Onora had spoke softly. “I am not entirely sure? I mean, get a job, and everything. Family is for the future, but money to support myself?”
Genor laughed from the corner. "What job? I was aspiring to be a tech genius before I landed on the streets and I doubt many professions in the overland fit down here."(edited)
Genor thought for a while. "Well, I could go with an architect. But, I am a good fighter, being a rager and all..." Genor trailed off, now in deep thought.
Onora had shook her head, sending her hair flying everywhere. “I mean, who long have I even been down here?” Days felt like weeks, weeks felt like years, and years—she didn’t know.
Jexus was confused. “Why did you come on this mission? You are not Gregor, there was no prophecy foretelling your fate. Why come with Demeter and Smokeswirl and Ripred?”(edited)
Genor shook his head. "You say like that you could have said No. We wouldn't have given you a choice. I mean, in my defense, I didn't understand how dangerous it would be."
Jexus grinned slightly. “I would not worry about housing or a job yet. You could live with me for the time being. I - I also know of a small cave just outside Regalia. A... a friend told me of it.” Jexus looked sad.
Onora’s interest was peaked, she brushed her crazy hair out of the way, eyeing the cave. “Gregor doesn’t...seem to have a bond. Is that it?” She flickered her gaze to each of them for a moment, then Howard, then back to Jexus.
Onora had curled up into a ball, slowly rocking herself back and fourth. Her tears had dripped off of of arms. She couldn’t even imagine loosing Jexus.
Genor leaned against her shaky body and hugged her tight. "No one is going anywhere, we are done dealing with death. My word, everyone flying with us will make it back to Regalia."
Demeter landed a few feet away from the item, peering at it cautiously.Smokeswirl hopped off, and carefully padded towards it. "It's a piece of rotted meat...?"
As Smokeswirl pondered in confusion, a blurred shape leaped out of nowhere and tackled her to the ground. She hissed and writhed, unable to see the assailant. But the others could. It was a huge, furry mammal, with a snakelike body and beady eyes. A weasel, gnashing its sharp teeth.
She clapped her hands loudly. Weasels were so cute! Onora gripped her hands together. Giggling. “Come on! It can’t be that bad, plus weasels are adorable!”(edited)
The other weasel ran forwards with tenacity, but faltered when it saw the huge group of creatures it had never seen before. It put on a burst of speed, launching itself at Floss with teeth and claws bared.
Demeter didn't expect the moth to react so quickly. But they did. Their huge wings spread, eclipsing the group and shocking the Prowler. The eyelike pattern caused it to fall back, hissing. But it didn't last. But when it realized that the eyes were fake, it charged them again. Floss was torn to shreds.
Jexus had flown forward as soon as he realised what had happened, but it was too late for Floss. Jexus grabbed the powler in his claws and smashed it against the wall, stunning it. “Kill it!” He screamed at no one in particular.(edited)
(flooded my scenes. You built me palaces out of paragraphs, you built cathedrals. You you you..You forfeit the right to my heart, you forfeit the place in our bed, you’ll sleep in your office instead. I’m burning the memories of when you were mine! The world seemed to, burn..)(edited)
Just as the prowler was going to the leap on his dead body, a flash of gray fur had it pinned against the wall and claws starting clawing out it's eyes, catching it off gaurd, and let it slump against the wall, fainted and almost dead.
Genor jumped up and started some desperate CPR. "Shredder! But I need to keep her alive. Coilthroat's victims have a habit of dying after he lets them go."
The halflander had rolled off Jexus when he took off, leaving her in the rocks below. The Prowler had eyed her, soon striking. She grabbed her spear, running it across its side. It bled some, but this only seemed to provoke it. It launched itself at her, its teeth flashing with a snap in front of her face. Onora had quickly stood with her wooden staff, spearing it in the chest as it slowly bled out. She wiped her face, noticing a small gash on her cheek. The halflander soon fell with it, as she bled heavily.
"Oh, Shredder!" Smokeswirl said, not having recognized her at first. She had genuinely thought the rat dead. She trotted up behind Genor, watching him but being unable to help.
Howard grabbed a medkit, jumped off Nike and rushed over to Shredder. “S**” *he said, after seeing how wounded and bruised she was. But he could clearly see what the main problem was; a huge gash in her belly, leaking a nasty-looking mixture of blood and pus
Howard ignored him, focussing on the injured rat in front of him. He had never been taught how to heal a gnawer, so he relied on common sense and general medical knowledge as he slowly cleaned away the blood from Shredder’s belly, before passing a vial to Genor and asking him to give it to Shredder.
Howard silently worked on Shredder, stitching the wound as fast as he could. After that, he gently rolled her over and began working on the rest of her cuts and bruises. After a full hour, he finally stood up, hands covered in blood. “I have done everything I can.” he said reluctantly. “She has suffered no serious harm apart from the wound in her belly. It is too early to tell if it is infected, but the pus is not a good sign.”
Smokeswirl nosed the dead body of the Prowler. "Strange. He's starving." Its bones were prominent through its fur.
"Wait a moment... look at this." She moved the Prowler's leg, revealing a large chunk missing. "That's where the meat came from. Same size, same scent."
-
Demeter winced at the gore. "That wound looks self inflicted. Observe the claw marks, they are the same size. This makes no sense."
-
Smokeswirl paused. "I think I know what they were doing. They were hunting, and that was the bait."
"I am not sure. Possibly, he ripped the flesh right out of himself to draw in scavengers and then eat them. I do not see why he did not simply save some of his last kill, though."
Jexus shook his heady slightly at the body in front of them. “Well, at least we know what we’re up against now. We should be going; if this one was starving others will be too, and this body will drag them out soon.”
Howard gently pushed Genor away from Shredder, and with a grunt lifted the rat onto the remaining Moths’ back, asking them to fly as steadily as possible.
“we shouldn’t, at least as of now.” Onora had added with a shake of her head. She wobbled over to Jexus with her staff dragging blood across the smooth tunnels floor. She tried her best to get onto his furry back.
Jexus leaned down to let Onora on his back as easily as possible. It killed him to watch as she struggled to live without her leg, but he had been trying his best to make life as easy as possible for her, but he knew deep down it wasn’t enough.
Genor was taken aback by the sharpness of her voice, but decided to continue on with the question. “How do Rats get their names? I’ve been wondering this for a long time, and I’m bored now.”
"You looked bored, so you can have this to fiddle with. It was my little sisters... Before she died. Just don't lose it. " Genor solemnly replied to provide explanation.(edited)
Michael sighed and leaned back. He felt something on his head, turned around, and saw that Smokeswirl (@Lenn) was there. He blushed, sat straight up, and immediately apologized.(edited)
Smokeswirl grimaced and flicked her tail, more annoyed than usual. She hated flying. "Whatever, I'm used to humans taking up more space than they need." She shot a glare at the Regalians.
Demeter nodded, and looked over to the stone-grey moth who had been flying with them. It was easy to forget they were there, as they blended in, and rarely spoke. "Were you two close?" She spoke tenderly and kindly.
(Demeter is woke and is on guard duty, also smokeswirl has sometimes loud nightmares if anyone wants to try n be friends with her @(moved accounts) Mikl Pickle )(edited)
Genor nodded quietly, and then threw dozens of questions at her. "Why do bats fur color vary so much? Why is Aroura's golden, but no one else's is? Can you sleep and fly at the same time? How much do bats sleep each day? Why do seemingly only human's and bats bond together? Why are the rats hating the humans so much? And why do you still use the Customary system?"
Jexus was sitting quietly against the cave wall, occasionally glancing over at the conversations happening around him. His eye was hurting less and less now, but he was suddenly startled by Smokeswirl crying out.
Genor gently rested his hand on her, and whispered quietly. "Please, we can't keep on keeping secrets from each other. It breaks the group and yourself."(edited)
Michael gently rested his hand on him (Genor) and whispered quietly. “She doesn’t have to tell you if she doesn’t want to. Some things are better to keep private.”
Genor looked at him. "And those things will come out one way or another, and if you put it off for to long, then you have no control in the ways you express it."
“Why are you so pissed all the time?” Jexus blurted out suddenly. He was tired of Smokeswirl being rude and demeaning. “Is really so hard for you to be with us?”
Jexus stared back, unmoved. “And I assume those memories specifically contain us? Because imagine if you were blaming someone for something they didn’t do. That wouldn’t be right, would it?”
She lashed her scarred tail. "Any one of the Underlanders here would not have hesitated to kill me in the past. Regalians and Fliers came to our lands and practically hunted us for sport!" Smokeswirl spat.
Jexus cast a glance down at Onora when she poked him, but he want finished. “But do you deny the same for your species? If you or your pack came across a defenceless Underlander, would you let them go with a pat on the back and some extra food?” he said mockingly.(edited)
Genor looked at him in disgust, taking Smokeswirl’s side. “Well what if you were to come across a pack of defenseless rats in the Underland, half starved. What would you do?”
"Do you know how many humans I have killed?" She said, baring her teeth and rising to her feet. She looked away from Jexus, and around at the rest of the group. "Any of you want to take a guess?"
"Is this a game to you, now? Debate the rat? I don't give a damn if you're innocent. I hate you, your kind, and your allies. And that will not change."
Demeter glanced at Jexus, though she had remained silent throughout the entire argument. She admired Jexus, but couldn't stand that conversation. "That was unkind." She whispered.
Demeter nodded solemnly. "I like you, Jexus, I really do. But you must try to empathize with the others." She sighed. "I am going to rest." She fluttered a few feet away, and lay on the ground, nearly passing out the second she dropped.
Onora rolled her eyes. Jexus was always trying to be the ‘right’ one. She helped herself up, picking up the staff, walking over to Someswirl. The halflander sat down next to her, her leg hanging off of the edge they were on. “Ignore him.”
Onora had wanted to rat to do something. As she didn’t want to see her like this. The halflander put something into the water pale, it was clear. She gave Smokeswirl the water, and poured it into her mouth hoping she’d swallow. “You need the water.”
(OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS SKIDDLY-BOPNACIOUS PLEHGMACIOUS SHE SENT 1 MESSAGES so who was right (quick attie leave and never come back so I will be right))
Onora rubbed her hands together, hoping she’d crash soon. She looked back a Jexus, jumping off the small ledge as she fell quite a distance. She grinned.
Jexus spoke quietly “I was unkind. I should not have said those things.”
17:58
But then he looked Onora in the eye. “But there is a bigger problem. Our group, this group, is falling apart. If we continue like this, we will all die.”
17:58
(They should do what the kids in It did to join together again)
“You were needed. I—just came at a inconvenient time. I have caused us to slow, greatly.” She said, giving out a huff and a great look of dismay. Onora had looked at amputated leg.
(They’re all so good. My personal fav is probably Pet Semetary)
18:10
Jexus gently nuzzled his head against her shoulder. “No,” he whispered, trying to comfort her. “None of what happened to us is your fault. You were just... unlucky.”
Genor’s face fell. “My parents did.” He quietly whispered. “Thats why they aren’t here.” After a few minutes of silence, he spoke up again. “But thats all the more reason to keep your feelings in check.”
Genor nodded his head in agreement. “We must finish this quest quickly. Or they with kill us off, if we aren’t a team. Perhaps Team building excersises? Are those even a thing down here?”
Jexus noticed his expression and quickly switched his tone. “What? Oh, no. It is just to lessen their fear of heights and such. The fliers would never let anyone fall.”
Jexus frowned slightly. “It does not matter. Fliers do not form as strong relationships with their parents as humans do. Yes, they raise us and care for us, but after we have matured...”
Jexus was getting increasingly worried by Genor’s obsession with throwing things off cliffs. “No, we just separate. By that time a flier can fend for itself, and may even have a bond. The parents just... leave.”(edited)
“Well, we have a currency up there. Just like you have down here. And people had to do jobs to earn the currency, and the currency is used to buy items, such as food, houses, furniture etcetera. My parents didn’t have a job that have them a lot of money, so we’re left without much, so we had stale food every night for dinner, breakfast, and lunch. And of course my daily routine, you want to know that. Wait, how are kids educated down here?”
18:16
(Sorry if I’m being so inconsistent with my response timing, I’m running errands right now)
Jexus sat back up, full of questions about the information had just been bombarded with, “Uhh... I am no expert, but I believe they are taught basic skills and knowledge up until the age of twelve. For humans, that is. Flier pups are very different.”
“Well, we have a system down there, but all you needed to know is that I was considered to be middle-aged in my quest to be considered an adult. I woke up at 6:00 am, which is early for kids my age, and I practically got ready for school for around two hours. Then I went to school for seven hours, and can back to do about 3 hours of homework, ate dinner, and went to sleep. We did this Monday-Friday, and only got relief and rest on Saturday and Sunday.”(edited)
Jexus did not know how to respond. He did not understand half of what those words meant. “Okay... and what about after your parents... deaths?” he asked in a softer tone.
Genor cleared his throat, this question taking out his rambling-high. He spoke in s very soft tone. “One night, when my parents were having fun with a couple of their friends. I was sleeping. I woke up to the sound of drunken people yelling at each other for something about sleeping with someone else, and then there were gunshots. Three times, he hit my dad in the heart, and 4 times he shot my mom in the stomach. There was silence, and then they ran. And ran downstairs, and tried to help them. I really did... and then I was at the police station every day for two weeks. One of the police workers was building a case on me, trying to prove that I killed my parents. One night, I flew into a rage, and took a knife and went to their house. And then, well, you know what happens...” His voices trailed off, and he broke down in tears. Heart-wrenching, body shaking sobs.
“My fault... my fault. I should have been down there, to even protect my little sister from the shot that missed and hit him... and then I killed those parents.... they had a kid. I’m evil...”
Jexus said nothing as he tightly hugged Genor against his fur, thinking of his own loss. They stayed like that for a long time, Genor crying himself out as Jexus’ one eye stared unblinking out into the darkness.
Genor wrapped Jexus’ around him tighter, and eventually his sobbing stopped, and a comfortable silence fell between them, as they stared out into the darkness.
“I was up in the laundry room, stealing clothes for myself. It was something I needed to do. And then I saw this one kid jump in a giant vent. I jumped in after him in an attempt to save him if he got hurt, but I never landed in the basement floor.”
Jexus’ head was slumped on the ground. His scarred eye glistened in the torchlight. “There was... a flood. We tried to save them, all of them. Gnawers, humans, whoever. But my bond got pulled off my back when I went to save...” Jexus glanced over at Ripred. “him.”
18:44
Jexus laughed slightly, but it sounded hollow. “I barely think he remembers it. He was half-mad, screaming for his mate and cubs. I dumped him with the rest of the gnawers then went back to look for my bond. I... I never found him.”
18:45
Jexus lurched slightly, as if realising what he had just said. “I mean, I looked for him before I picked up Ripred, but... by then I knew he was gone.”
While Genor was under Jexus’ wing hugging Genor, it felt like Genor needed to embrace him back to comfort him. “I’m, I’m very sorry to hear that. Shredders disappearance nearly drove me insane.”(edited)
18:47
“I can’t imagine how you must have felt...”(edited)
Jexus voice became sadder. “It’s strange. You never realise how much you need someone until they are gone.” he glanced over at Onora, sleeping peacefully next to Demeter, then at Shredder.(edited)
Genor nodded back, and there was a certain bond that had formed between them at this point between them. He thought that he could consider Jexus a friend now. They continued their hug in silence watching the sunset sitting quietly in the darkness.
Jexus was feeling better after his conversation with Genor, but still didn’t talk to Smokeswirl. He lay down next to Onora and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Shredder reluctantly left hesitatingly from her spot, her eyes now tired. Genor stirred and woke up Ripred, who had managed to get to the point where they could get a few words out of him.
“Leave?” Ripred mumbled a few more random words and started tearing into a stone.
14:45
Shredder sighed in disappointment. “Look at him. I fear he needs a big motive for him to return. In fact.” Shredders voice dropped to a whisper. “I fear he is gone.”
Howard glanced sadly at Ripred. It pained him that he could not help the rat. He had vowed to keep anyone from harm, but did not know what to do with Ripred.
Shredder struggles to find the words. “Creatures are designed to live. If he is at the point of death, then perhaps he could come back. But it only happens in one out of every one thousand cases.”(edited)
“It doesn’t matter most of the time. They simply perish at the claws of another Gnawer quite often. It would require... strong emotional strength to put it. And Ripred is not known for being the emotional type...”
After a few minute of silence, Genor finally asked what had been bugging him. “So, it took us around two months to get here. Does that mean it will take two months to get back too? I know it seems obvious, but I don’t think our group could handle that, so I sorta hoped that there was an alternate solution...”(edited)
Jexus shrugged. "The trip has taken a long time because of injuries and ambushes. We wasted a lot of time with the moths as well. Hopefully the journey back will be shorter and less treacherous."
“Yes, and I apologize for arguing with the group for day, and for almost dying. I’m sure that held you up. And I’m sure Ripred’s sorry for going into one of the crazed frenzies and yelled to get an army of rats attention almost got you all almost killed.”
Genor noticed Jexus’ soft expression towards Demeter, and smiled. At least some good had come from this wretched trip. Many friendships were created and strengthened, and that feeling comforted Genor.
After an hour or so of silence, Genor quietly whispered into Jexus' ear. "What was the flooding that happened? You mentioned it before, and it seemed to break you, and I don't want to push you, but I am a little curious... I admit."
Jexus sighed slightly. “It was called the Garden of Hesperides. In one of the times where relations with Gnawers were still peaceful, the humans gave it to them as a gift. It was a beautiful place” Jexus sounded wistful. “But then war began, as it always does. Luxa’s uncle led an attack there. It seemed to be going well, as the rats were more intent on saving their cubs than fighting back. But the tides soon turned, and we began losing. So he opened the dike and led water flood into the plain.” Jexus broke off suddenly. He took a deep breath. “It was meant to be controlled, to wash the gnawers away. But the water was too powerful. It overflew the banks, and completely covered the Garden. Her uncle lost his bond, Ripred his mate and cubs, and I... The place is fully underwater now. Many lives were lost.”
Jexus was quiet for a moment. “Everyone does things they regret. After Luxa’s uncle saw the damage he had caused, he began trying to save anyone and everyone. They say he went insane after he lost his bond, but I believe it was the amount of death he had caused. He could not live with himself.”
“No.” Jexus said simply. “He ran away. He left behind Regalia, his family, all of it. I do not know what happened after, but there are rumours that he survived in the Jungle alone for ten years. He is dead now, however, that much is common knowledge. He had a child, Hazard, who lives with Queen Luxa now.”
18:20
“A half lander.” Jexus added, almost as an afterthought.
Demeter did the same, and after a few yards, the tunnel opened up suddenly. A massive cavern yawned out before them, the other side so far away it was impossible to see. It was dimly lit, though the source was unclear. A few sparse groups of Prowlers padded around, all just as skinny as the ones they had seen before. They had finally reached their homeland.
(I'll send the message again and we can pick up from there tomorrow)
20:50
Demeter did the same, and after a few yards, the tunnel opened up suddenly. A massive cavern yawned out before them, the other side so far away it was impossible to see. It was dimly lit, though the source was unclear. A few sparse groups of Prowlers padded around, all just as skinny as the ones they had seen before. They had finally reached their homeland.(edited)
Demeter landed quickly, peering out into the massive cavern. Smokeswirl hopped off, crouching low. "We can't just run in like this. We have no idea what's awaiting us."
Genor felt the wind rush though his hair, closing his eyes to enjoy the cool breeze. He turned around, seeing a familiar face. "Aren't you... Gregor?" He asked.(edited)
(His face redder than his butt that just hit the ground, he shoved Gregor And who the heck do it think you are, thinking you know everything? I bet that you’re just as lost as I am! Ha!)
He nodded slowly, wondering how a blind person could remember faces better than him. “Yes... Hi?” He said again, hoping to get a legitimate reaction.(edited)
Genor cringed slightly. He straightened his back, adjusting his tie. “What do you think about this quest?” He asked curiously, hoping desperately that Gregor would engage in the conversation.(edited)
For most their flights, Bitterbark sat quietly upon his flier - watching the twisting tunnel walls as they flew past and idly trying to memorize their path. He made no effort to talk to his flier, or anyone else who happened to fly close, but after so many trips, even he had started to feel the press of boredom.(edited)
He looked up and noticed one of the does was flying close. He sighed, knowing he was probably gonna regret opening his mouth, but pressed on anyways. "Enjoying all these flights?"
Shredder looked over, surprised. She always thought of Bitterbark as a hostile creature, and certainly not one to engage conversations with. However, she was glad to make the new friend. She chuckled slightly. "Love these flight so much. I especially love the impending doom that takes over your body the farther you get from your home." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
00:01
(Oh cool everyone finished)
00:01
(Lets check the boards)
00:01
(sigh)
00:01
(I tied for first with 3 other people)
00:01
(I have never been more relieved yet annoyed at the same time)
(As if in a sarcasm battle twinetail remarked"well I just love leaving my home to go on a quest wher3 I will most likely die a painful )death"
00:05
(As if in a sarcasm battle, twinetail remarked. "Well, I just love leaving my home to go on a quest where I'll most likely die a painful death!" She exclaimed.)(edited)
(All he did was NOD, GOSH, he has FEELIN)
(Wait no that sounds fake.)
00:08
Bitterbark grimaced, looking away for a moment so the doe wouldn't see his face twitch. Not even two sentences out and he already regretted his decision. "No. I spend most my time traveling. No point in keeping a nest."
She nodded slowly, understanding this was a sensitive topic. "How do you think we'll do on this quest?" She asked slightly hastily, attempting to switch topics.
"There are giant serpents there, that make the Tankard their home. Great beasts that can shake the earth and collapse tunnels with a flick of their tails. If there is a great beast waiting for us, I believe it'd be something of that sort."
Bitterbark looked over at Shredder, brow raising a bit in disbelief. What kind life did the doe lead to have such optimism? "Sure," he ended up saying, no conviction in his tone.
She sighed. “I suppose that some might die.” She said, looking at the particularly weak people in the group. ”But then it is our job to protect them.” She offered. ”The strong protecting the weak.”
If anything, Bitterbark's brow raised even higher, before he broke off into a laugh. "Where in the caves did you tumble out of?" He gasped, before shaking his head. "The weak never last down here, no matter how hard you try to protect them. Maybe not now, or tomorrow, but eventually. Something will get them."
”Not necessarily- I have seen plenty of the strongest die while the weakest survive. They may be weak today, tomorrow, but eventually, they will learn to defend themselves. We simply have to help them get there.”
Bitterbark shrugged, "once they learn that, they're no longer weak. Innocence lost and all that batshit." His flier huffed, but Bitterbark ignored him.
He sighed, "I'm not just gonna let a pup fall off a cliff, if that's what you're asking. But I'm also not going to stick my neck out for a kid that gets in over their head and runs into a pit of stingers."(edited)
"I don't have friends." He stated simply, "And protection is not a word I would use. I will... fight for someone. If there is a good enough reason for it. A benefit to me."
He laughed again. Honestly, what rock had this doe been sleeping under for the past.... forever? "Solely perpetrating- do you hear yourself?" Bitterbark's face dropped. "What good is there to perpetrate? What's the point when somewhere down the tunnel, some assholes are going to pitch a fit and kill thousands over it?"
01:59
"Being good isn't going to keep your loved ones safe."
Shredder thought about her parents, and how their tenets of functioning for the benefit of others had got them. ”Perhaps not. But being kind helps you enjoy the trivial aspects of life, purely for the purpose of making it more enjoyable for yourself and others. After all, what is the point in any of this if you can't attend to yourself.”
She nodded. ”My parents. They were killed protecting a pup in the labyrinth.” She looked around, realising that Bitterbark was right. ”A shame we must live in this world.” She said quietly.
Bitterbark frowned. He finally understood the doe, or at least understood how she was the way she was. Inherited her parents unfortunate virtuous streak it seemed. "They sounded like good people," he responded quietly.
(Lol, he actually hasn't been hostile towards the humans, he was just like back seating Smokeswirl and Cinder's spat. He's more, "everyone sucks and I hate it here.")
”No- they left me. They went out to find food with one of their friends. Only he returned.” She said sadly. ”Who were they?” She said signaling to his deceased members.(edited)
"My sisters... and their pups. They nested close to each other, so their families could play together, so when one nest got sick - the other followed suit."
03:29
Bitterbark shook his head, as if trying to dispel the memories. "Did you ever tried to find out what killed them? Or who?" He asked, still curious. "Was it an accident or?"
Shredder, getting the sense Bitterbark didn't want to converse about their deaths. ”I'm afraid not. Apparently, they saw some insatiable rats roaming around, cornering a pup which its parents they killed. They could have lived if their coward of a friend fought with them.” She spat.
She chuckled. “What would be the odds of finding them?” She said. “It is called the labyrinth for a reason. No, it’s best to let karma take its course in this scenario.”
She glanced at her claws, still as sharp as ever. She looked back up at him, a fierce rat. Shredder herself dedicated her life to fighting in the hole she would not meet the same fate as parents. ”One day... I will go to the labyrinth. I will find them. And I will slaughter them.” Shd promised.
Bitterbark saw the determination in the doe's gaze, and nodded his head in approval. "If I'm still around by then, I'd be happy to lend a claw."
Bitterbark detested a lot of things, but he wouldn't deny having a sore spot against creatures that preyed on families.
Sky looked to the two. "Our opposable thumbs do more harm than good. They just make things that do more damage than anything else. Like guns. You could never use a gun, and that's a good thing. You can't kill hundreds of people in a few minutes like we can."
She shook her head. ”Not necessarily. Emotions are reflected across all species, not only humans. It's simply in the Underland you learn to block it out.”
"So it probably is just an Overland thing then." Sky replied. "I cant really think of too many bad things, its mostly just the opposable thumbs that makes everything harder."
"Well if you think about it overlanders are only at the top of the overland food chain because of the opposable thumbs without them that couldent pick up half the things they do and they couldent build or realy anything"Jacob said
Shredder jumped to Ripred's bat. "Hey sexy." She giggled slightly. "What if me and you take it to the caves." She traced her claw along his lips. "And make love you plenteous asshole."(edited)
Shredder woke up, stretching her back. She looked up at Shydir, still gliding effortlessly through the air. "Hi Shydir." She said sleepily. "How are you?"
“Guys, please, I have one request,” Michael said as he walked over. “Please just use correct grammar and punctuation. When my quote is finished but it’s not the end of the sentence, don’t use a period, use a comma,” he said. “Don’t just end the sentence without a period, question mark, exclamation mark, or ellipses. And don’t capitalize random words like you. Alright, peace,” he said, disappearing into the shadows.
(bruh remember when there were super dark moments in the rp then @Ewfawfa (Nexus/Coilthroat/Chloe) would just have chloe come in and be like "i shit myself")
20:54
"Alright, good talk!" he said nervously as he uncomfortably speed-walked away.
Jessie nervously began to get up, rubbing her eyes. She was still surprised she managed to sleep on the bat without falling off. She looked around, seeing Sky. "Hey Sky." She said, turning around to talk.
(Sorry, didnt get the notif)
Sky had been chillin for a while thinking, and when he heard Jessie talk, he shot out of thought, and trying to regain his bearings replied, "Hey Jes."
Sky sighed. He didn't wanna sound biased, but he didnt know how else to explain it. "To put it simply, we are arguing over why we didwhat we did with the cartel." He said, casually skipping the part about Jane.
I spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stops
14:21
I spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stopsI spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stopsI spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stopsI spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stopsI spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stopsI spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stopsI spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stopsI spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stopsI spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stopsI spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stopsI spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stopsI spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stopsI spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stopsI spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stopsI spin my log the other way.
I stop the shaking log
I grab on until the wind stops
Sky shook his head. "No. I dont wanna drag you into this. I dont want you to hate Genor. I want you to be able to have a friendship with him again. And I dont wanna be the one who could possibly ruin that."
Sky looked back to her, before nodding very slowly. "Fine, but remember, this is only how I saw it, and Genor will have experienced it a much different way."
She turned silent. Jessie always thought that this was a silly argument between friends- but this? This was far more serious than she had ever predicted. "Oh." She said silently.
He nodded, before looking away into the cave. This was why he didnt wanna tell her. He didnt wanna have her learn about all this stuff that she shouldn't have to deal with right now, when she was dealing with the entire Underland.
Bitterbark looked about the cave the group had settled in, sniffing the air cautiously before settling down. Camp or not, they still could very well be attacked at any moment. The Uncharted Lands were uncharted for a reason. He eyed the cave's exits warily, snapping down on some fish bones. "How long till we hit the Flutterers' Lands?"
“You could possibly make it back to the Gnawers’ territory on foot.” Demeter suggested weakly. “I just don’t want to make anyone come on a quest they would rather not join in on. Quests are stressful affairs.”
Shredder sighed, starving. She looked back at the troublesome three... maybe eating them wouldn't be so bad? "Is there really nothing else to eat?" SHe asked turning back to the group. "Except fish?"
She groaned lightly. "I suppose it makes sense." Hearing Bitterbark's comment, she choked slightly. "Yes, wonderful flavor." She sarcastically remarked.
"We should start coming across some plants soon," Bitterbark added, "if we are getting close to the Flutterers' lands. They're not as tasty as fish, but at least there'll be some variety."
“They are a type of plant that have sweet nectar in their blossoms that taste and smell close to honey thus the name”twinetail said vaguely remembering Jacobs explaination
Smokeswirl was a pup when the incident had occurred. She was fortunate to not have been in the caves at the time. But she grimaced as she remembered when many of her playmates were never seen again. And she remembered what the adults had all said. ‘Humans.’ There was always venom in their voices. They had done that. She was only a pup, but she knew to hate them even then.
"Just another reminder that whatever this is," Bitterbark's tail swept around the cave, gesturing to all the different creatures gathered together for the quest, "it won't last. It never does."
Shredder gently put her paw on Smokeswirl. She looked at Bitterbark. "You never know. We are in peace now, and I hope that this never changed."(edited)
Shredder sighed. She knew that they were right. "Then perhaps it is up to use to... hold it off? War never benefits any side, we all know that." She offered gently, holding off her rage.
“Well let’s take a head count we have the warrior the peacemaker even though I’m not sure how useful ripred will be and we have sandwich’s prophecy’s so we both have a fighting force, vague predictions of the future and someone who supposedly makes peace”twinetail said hopefully
Helen had been listening in silently, hesitant to join in. “Grudges must be thrown away
Save scrapping for another day
Without trust all will be lost
Buried beneath the gathering frost.” She added quietly, quoting the very prophecy they were following.
"Perhaps we land and rest?" Shredder said tiredly. While her thirst for plants were slowly consuming her, she was becoming annoyed at the obscene amount of flying they were doing.(edited)
“I don’t know.” Demeter shrugged. “It will not be long.*
“Stop whining. You’ll be wishing you had a Flier to carry you once we get to the colder parts where we all have to walk.”
(please dont taqlk here unless its abotu whats currently happening in this channel or youre roleplaying and if you arent but you wantr to talk pls use parentheses)
The group flew quietly through a smaller passage. It was a familiar place, and they were very close to the Flutterers' cavern. Very suddenly, a flash of movement came from out of nowhere. Demeter tried to stop in mid air, tumbling for a moment and letting out a surprised shout. Her bristling fur smoothed down when she realized that the sudden flash of movement had come from a stone-grey moth. It had been blending into the cave wall so smoothly that it had been nearly invisible. The moth, which had been fluttering its broad wings in surprise, landed on the floor too as it recognized the group.
Grace's heart dropped as the flier she was riding jerked suddenly to a stop. She heard a his from one of the gnawers behind her as the rest of the group stopped as well.
The moth's wings folded against its fluffy body, surveying the group. "You have returned." They said in a soft voice, with mild surprise. "I will bring you to the cavern, if you will follow. Once you have fed, we will ask you then what you come for." The moths had always been hospitable. Smokeswirl was glad that food would come before questions. They had a lot to catch up on with the Flutterers.